WITH Halloween next week some Stevenage residents have been getting in the spirit with some ghoulish goings on.

James Creighton has decked out his Grove Road house in Stevenage in all things spooky, complete with sound effects and special lighting.

It is the second year running the 24-year-old has made his house haunted as a tribute to his nan Betty, who died of cancer in 2009.

“I had the idea and everyone said I should do it for charity,” said James, who will be opening up his house to the public between 6pm and 10pm for Halloween night on Wednesday, October 31.

“My nan passed away from cancer so that’s why I chose Cancer Research UK. I’d like to raise �500 but I’ll be grateful for any donations.

“Last year all my neighbourhood turned up and the numbers were in the hundreds so I hoping it will be busy again. We’ve had lots of people stopping by who said they’d be coming on the night.

“We’ve got live actors who will be wondering round the street which should be pretty cool. Everyone is welcome and there will be donation buckets around the house.”

To make a donation to the cause visit www.justgiving.com/james-creighton

James isn’t the only one who has been getting in the act, with a family in Brook Drive, Stevenage decorating their house – including a talking butler and moving hands – for the eighth year running.

“I love Halloween and because the children were at that age to get into I started decorating it,” said Joanne Gautier, who lives with her partner John Wright, daughters Sasha, five, and Charlotte, 12, and sons Cameron, 10, and Joshua, 14. All the members of the family help get the house ready, with many of the objects on display handmade.

“We just started with a few gravestones in the garden and it’s gone from there, it’s got pretty ridiculous now. It’s become renowned in the area and I got told off when I said I wasn’t going to do it next year.

“Everybody brings their children along and it’s good fun.”