THE Diary is proud to announce a new discovery in the spirit world - York's first smart-casual ghost.

While a team of highly trained ghoul spotters descended on the city's Dean Court Hotel this week, Lucy Pearson was confronted with evidence of an open-air spook.

Unlike the rest of York's undead community, who tend to float about in doublet and hose or other anachronistic garments, this was very nearly a fashionable phantom.

The sighting happened when Lucy, from York, was taking her first trip around the bar walls with her friend Sarah, visiting from Middlesbrough. They began by climbing Bootham Bar steps.

"My friend Sarah was on the left and I was on the right. I was looking round the tower to my right and Sarah was on the left waiting for me," writes Lucy.

"For no real reason I said 'It's creepy' and carried on out of the tower, and Sarah followed me. After a minute she said 'Did you see that man in there?' She went on to say that there was on old man to the left of her in the corner of the tower, waiting for us to go past. He was in modern dress, smart-casual in beige-coloured clothes, with white shortish hair.

"As soon as she'd seen him he disappeared. I'm positive there was no one there with us in the tower itself, and a real person couldn't have just vanished like that.

"We both tried to explain it logically but couldn't, as we weren't expecting to see anything and, even if we did, we'd probably have expected to see a ghost in period dress rather than modern clothes."

COULD the new compact Evening Press also be haunted? Examine the staff photograph carried on page 18 of Tuesday's paper and a figure looking eerily like the grim reaper can be seen towards the back on the left.

Now there's a cheery omen.

Meanwhile, a Stop The Highway Robbery petition coupon, signed by readers and sent in to chief reporter Mike Laycock, was adorned by a ghostly face. Are past York generations trying to get a message to the council?

MY showbiz mole is in touch with gossip about girl band Sugababes. They are to split with their record label, the source insists, citing artistic differences. This follows disappointing sales for their last single.

The Diary knows less about pop music than most earthworms, but my informant has a track record on record deals. So we shall see.

GARETH Spydaz, liberator of neglected York buildings, has now turned his attention to the wider world.

Gareth, a leading light of the peace corps who stormed the Bo Ding Warehouse last month, has organised a concert to raise funds for Sudan famine relief.

Starring the Surf Sluts, Hell Raiser, Self Certified and Gareth Shane, the concert takes place at the Junction pub, Leeman Road, York, on Friday, September 17.

All this, plus a DJ, for £3 (£2.50 concessions). The money goes to the Sudan aid campaign organised by the Red Cross and Oxfam.

DIANA Wallis, Lib Dem Yorkshire MEP, sends in a press release commenting "on the statement from Romano O'Prodi, President of the European Commission".

Funny, we thought Roman was Italian, not Irish. Top of the morning to yous, Diana.

Write to: The Diary, Chris Titley, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN Email diary@ycp.co.uk Telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337

Updated: 09:07 Friday, September 10, 2004