The haunted Greggs of Sunderland, where an old lady's ghost or poltergeist was suspected to be at play

Today we look back to when a branch of Greggs became a fresh addition to Sunderland's haunted buildings.
Greggs in Sea Road today. Picture c/o Google ImagesGreggs in Sea Road today. Picture c/o Google Images
Greggs in Sea Road today. Picture c/o Google Images

The Sea Road branch of the popular bakery chain featured in our popular article on 13 haunted buildings in the city earlier this week. Here we look a little more at the story.

We reported in 2004 how The Greggs outlet in Fulwell was hit by a series of ghostly events. Kettles boiled unexpectedly, and banging and clashing in the staff changing rooms was also heard.

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Staff suspected the ghost of an elderly woman was behind the goings-on, but said the spirit was friendly - and never helped itself to any of the stock.

One member of staff at the time told the Echo she often heard banging from the floor above as if furniture was being moved around - even though nobody was upstairs.

She suspected the spirit was that of an old lady who lived in an upstairs flat before the premises became a shop.

An "old fashioned, flowery smell of lavender" was reported in the building either just before or just after the spirit reportedly "paid a visit".

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Kettles already boiling when the first staff came in at 4am, and a banging noise from upstairs if the radio was played too loudly, were said to occur early in the morning.

Mike Hallowell, a paranormal investigator and the journalist behind the former Wraithscape column in our sister paper the Shields Gazette, suspected a poltergeist may have been to blame for the occurrences.

He said poltergeist activity wasn't "something which throws things about" but rather tended to be "found in the presence of a young woman who is worried or stressed about something".

We ask a PR representative for Greggs if the ghostly activity is still going on, but have yet to hear back. So whether the haunting continues, we do not know. Have you had any spooky experiences there?