A landlord thinks major refurbishment may have disturbed ghosts at an historic pub.

Landlord Matthew Martin and his partner Andrew Wood took over the White Horse, Sible Hedingham, 15 weeks ago - a pub which is already rumoured to be haunted.

Following a recent £21,000 refurbishment of the restaurant area, the pair and their staff have noticed some strange goings on.

Matthew was woken up on Saturday by the pub’s combined fire and burglar alarm at 4.30am and the upstairs was filled with smoke.

The 24-year-old rang the fire brigade and ventured downstairs, but the said the smoke had cleared within seconds.

He said: “It was just bizarre.”

Fire fighters spent about 45 minutes using a thermal image camera in the Greene King pub but were unable to determine the source.

Jerry Botting, lead fire fighter at the Sible Hedingham fire station, said: “It was a bit strange. We couldn’t find any apparent signs of burning.”

Matthew said the pub had been built in 1499 as a court. In 1873 a husband and wife ran it as a pub and butcher’s.

The pub’s restaurant is re-opening on Friday.