LANDLADY Elly White got the fright of her life when a lovestruck ghost popped into her bed!On the most romantic day of the year, the Evening Star can today reveal a tale of the real spirit of romance after the Suffolk publican turned white as a sheet when she saw a ghostly figure sitting up in bed with her, waving into a mirror.

By James Fraser

LANDLADY Elly White got the fright of her life when a lovestruck ghost popped into her bed!

On the most romantic day of the year, the Evening Star can today reveal a tale of the real spirit of romance after the Suffolk publican turned white as a sheet when she saw a ghostly figure sitting up in bed with her, waving into a mirror.

Nothing, it seemed, could ghoul its ardour for the female members of the same family as the amorous ghost has revealed himself to three generations – all from the fairer sex.

Yet despite the ghost's liking to the women it seems that its intentions were entirely gentlemanly.

For when he cropped up in Mrs White's bed, he came only to offer a bit of reassurance.

"It was the morning I was supposed to the dentist's - and I hate going to the dentist," said Mrs White, who experienced her ghoulish bedcompanion while she was landlady at the historic Royal Oak pub, in Ipswich Street, Stowmarket.

"After I saw this man waving into the mirror, I was petrified but then I felt absolutely wonderful and had no worries at all about the dentist."

Mrs White, who has now taken over the Shepherd and Dog pub, in nearby Onehouse, with husband Chris, said that the apparition disappeared in a flash but she distinctly remembers the man had long hair and was wearing an old-style nightshirt. And he definitely wasn't her husband!

"He had already got up and gone downstairs," she said.

"But I felt I daren't tell him what had happened - he would have thought I was mad!"

This sighting was just one of several the Whites experienced during their time at the Royal Oak, which came to an end when they moved to the Shepherd and Dog.

Mrs White revealed that her mother Freda also saw the kindly ghost drift into the trainee manager's flat - but not before giving her his trademark wave.

The flat used to be the old stables for the Grade I-listed building, which is said to be more than 300 years old.

"She thought it was my father-in-law - but he was in the downstairs bar with us," said Mrs White, 49.

The ghost has also been seen by her 20-year-old daughter Stefanie near the same spot, she added.

"She sat on the step and said 'Mum, who's that coming out the flat? Oh yes, he's definitely a ladies' man."

One of the ghost's other favourite haunts is near the pub's pool table where the light above the table can start swinging of its own accord - and this is the only place where current landlords Trevor and Karina Theobald have sensed his presence, although they have never seen him.

"Only our dog Max has really felt something. He stops and starts barking non-stop in the direction of the pool table," said Karina, 40, adding that the ghost has not been disturbed by recent refurbishment at the pub on Ipswich Street.

Elsewhere in the world, sweethearts were going dewy-eyed to show their Valentines they cared.

Wackier stunts included two bridegrooms getting hitched by getting a lift to their wedding on an elephant during the ceremony at the Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, Thailand.

But spare a thought for lovebirds – the real ones, that is.

These pictures show that lovebirds remain rare breeds as new arrivals at a London animal centre get beak-to-beak for the start of a new breeding programme.

Originally from southern Africa black-cheeked lovebirds are reported to be on the verge of distinction.