THE mysterious ghost picture taken at the Red Lion at Avebury by Gazette cameraman John Myers has created international interest.

The Gazette's own website www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk had more than 100,000 extra hits within hours of the photograph appearing in last week's edition.

The pub itself has been inundated with customers and ghost hunters wanting to see the restaurant where the photograph was taken and the mirror in which the ghastly reflection of a blood-splattered face was captured.

One of the paper's overseas readers from Italy, who keeps up with the Wiltshire news on the Internet, Dr Claudio Pisano, has identified what appears to be a second face at the side of the bleeding image.

Richard Bounds, licensee at the Red Lion, said the Gazette feature had provoked enormous renewed interest in the pub's spooks.

Many of the people flocking to the pub, reputedly the west country's most haunted, have been begging Mr Bounds to let them stay the night in the restaurant.

But the picture has had the opposite effect on Mr Bounds' deputy Tim Cox, who occasionally has to stay the night at the pub as part of his duties.

Mr Cox said he is quite accustomed to seeing the ghost of a man with a beard sitting at the bar, but the grisly image of the face in the mirror was spectre too far and he would now think twice about an overnight stay.

Neither the pub or photographer John Myers can explain how the face came to be captured on camera.

Mr Myres took it while covering a vigil by paranormal investigators. He said there was no-one else in the room who could have set up a spoof and there was no way his digital camera could have produced it accidentally.

Meanwhile spook hunters have been heading for the pub in droves, said Mr Bounds, and a TV company is planning to make a programme there in December, specifically because of the Gazette's picture.

Mr Bounds said: "We have had lots of people asking if they can come along on ghost hunts and, yes, it has been good for trade."

Meanwhile, ghostly activity was found when programme makers visited the Black Swan Hotel in Devizes.

The team from Britain's Most Haunted spent a night at the Market Place hotel and the show was broadcast on Tuesday night on Living TV.

An orb was captured on camera in guest room number four and one was seen coming from the wall in the cellar.

Owners Colin and Pam Lugg took part in ghost vigils with presenter Yvette Fielding, spiritualist Derek Acorah and special guest Uri Geller.

In room four Mrs Lugg ran from the room in shock after she felt something touch the side of her head. Mr Lugg said the programme was satisfied there was ghostly activity in the hotel.