I read with fascination the Post reports about ghosts on the ss Great Britain ("Ghost at the helm", September 24; "I saw ship's ghostly captain during tour", September 25).

It would seem that strange sightings and ethereal events have been happening since the 1990s and that the old ship has recently been the subject of an investigation by a team from the cult TV programme Most Haunted.

A parapsychologist and a number of mediums have been crawling all over Brunel's steamship poking in the nooks and crannies looking for signs of psychic activity. Brian Shepherd, the programme's medium, says he "picked up a psychic sense of people moving about including the presence of a big person wearing hobnailed boots who was walking along the ship". This was thought to be the ghost of the ship's captain John Gray (known affectionately to the staff as "Johnny"). Captain Gray mysteriously disappeared one night in 1872 somewhere between England and Australia, although a porthole was found open during a search of the ship.

It seems that the TV crew were very frightened by their experiences while on board, and some say that they even had things thrown at them.

And to add to the drama, the programme's presenter Yvette Fielding was struck down by a mysterious illness.

Some of the stories included a sighting of a ghoulish Victorian woman on the promenade deck, a ghost at a wedding ceremony playing a piano with the lid down and a 17-year-old bride who died on the ship a few weeks after her wedding and was pickled in vinegar by her husband so that she could be transported home for burial. Scratching sounds, thuds, tappings and doors opening and closing were among the many reports of eerie happenings.

Garry Evans, a medium and paranormal investigator, hopes to find "that certain piece of evidence that would prove beyond doubt that there is life after death".

If this is the case, then are we to believe that poor old Captain Gray is doomed to spend eternity walking up and down the promenade deck in his hobnailed boots, making thumping noises, scratching his beard, opening and closing doors and occasionally throwing things at people or giving them mysterious illnesses?

Maybe he will be allowed some light relief by being able to dance with a young bride pickled in vinegar as they tap their feet to music played by a ghost on a piano with the lid down.

Who knows, maybe he can get the ghoulish Victorian woman to give up her walk on the promenade and join in.

Maybe the owners could rename Brunel's ship "The ss (Seriously Spooky) Great Britain".

And does this mean that, in future, visitors will be given protective clothing and hard hats in case some of the ghosts "throw things" at them? And will they have to have injections against "mysterious illnesses" before they climb aboard?

If, however, there is a form of life after death and those on the other side can physically contact us by moving or throwing things about, then maybe one of those clever clogs paranormal investigators could hand them a sports paper and a pencil and get them to underline the winner of the 2.30 at Doncaster.

Now, when that happens, I'll become a believer.

Kim Pomphrey, Yate.