Ghost hunters have been sent in to London’s iconic Prince Charles Cinema after a series of spooky goings-on and the building is reportedly ‘teeming’ with paranormal activity

13:39, 08 May 2025Updated 13:50, 08 May 2025

Ghost-hunters have said they have found ghouls in one of Britain’s most iconic cinemas.

A paranormal investigation discovered the presence of spooks at the legendary Prince Charles Cinema in London’s Leicester Square.

The independent venue, built in 1961 and known for showing cult films, is dealing with renovation works above the theatre’s upstairs screen.

But staff said they fear the construction works have sparked an angry reaction from long-departed ‘residents’ of the building. Staff at the cinema – which recently had over 160,000 people sign a petition to save it from redevelopment – have reported a number of haunted goings-on.

Cinema boss Ben Freedman, who opposes the redevelopment, has seen two mysterious floods, an unexplained leak and the water supply turning itself off during a screening.

The iconic Prince Charles Cinema may be haunted(Image: Grab)

He said: “None of these costly and damaging mishaps make any sense; but I am keen to discover whether or not they could be the work of unhappy cinema ghosts … and if not ghosts, then who?”

Paranormal expert Barri Ghai was called in for an overnight probe and said his equipment picked up frequencies.

Barri, who founded The Ghostfinder Paranormal Society, said: “Our investigation has confirmed that there are active spirits in the cinema building.

“It is highly plausible that the Prince Charles Cinema is teeming with spiritual activity.

“My many years of paranormal investigation and exploration have honed my skills to be able to confidently identify different types of hauntings and evidence this using the latest in paranormal detection equipment and techniques.

“I am also a bit of a magnet for spirits and find that my higher connections allow me to gather amazing evidence time and time again.“

A paranormal investigation has found the presence of ghosts in a famous cinema. Construction works at the legendary Prince Charles Cinema, in London's Leicester Square, appear to have sparked a reaction from long-departed ‘residents’ of the building. Staff at the cinema - which recently had over 160,000 people sign a petition to save it from redevelopment - have previously reported a number of haunted goings-on, so paranormal expert Barri Ghai was called in for an overnight probe. His equipment picked up frequencies. "Our investigation has confirmed that there are active spirits in the cinema building."
The cinema could be ‘teeming’ with spooks(Image: Grab)

The iconic west end picture house, which has been around since the sixties, is one of the few independent cinemas in central London.

Some of the cinema’s famous ghostly sightings

The Tidying Ghost

One spook reportedly went around tidying up paper towels and stacking them up in a neat pile. The helpful gesture was accompanied by the room going cold all of a sudden…

The Film-Watching Ghost

The cinema’s film programmer heard the usher’s seat beind flipped up behind him as if someone had jumped up. Every time he turned around, he saw a door slowly closing. Similar experiences were witnessed through the 1990s, including seeing a mystery man in a pin-striped suit leaving through the door.

The Toilet Ghost

In 2022, the cinema’s maintenance man was working in the downstairs foyer when he felt a shadowy mass travel behind him. He then heard the door to the Gentlemen’s toilet open and shut. There was no one to be seen and when he checked the CCTV, the footage cut out at the exact moment the ghost would have appeared…

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By staronline@reachplc.com (Isobel Dickinson)

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