THINGS were going glug in the night at the start of the York Beer Festival.

The three-day event, sponsored by the Evening Press, has a ghostly theme. So York ectoplasm expert Ewan Main, of the Ghost Trail of York, opened the festival in its new venue, the Priory Street Centre, last night.

Drinkers had a choice of all manner of eerie beers - but no spirits.

They are expected to get through 7,000 pints during the festival, organised by the York branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

Many local brewers were represented, offering ghoulish potions such as the Which Witch Is Which beer from the Brown Cow Brewery, near Selby, and Haunting Hawk ale from Cropton, near Pickering.

The York Beer Festival finishes tomorrow night.

Updated: 10:53 Friday, March 28, 2003