UNLESS you are a keen fan of armoured vehicles, Bovington Tank Museum may not seem the most exciting place to spend a Saturday night.

But with the help of a group called Haunting Experiences, my mother and I discovered there may be more lurking in the exhibition halls than wartime memorabilia.

The West Country-based paranormal investigation team specialises in ghostly evenings in aid of charity. After collecting over £10,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust, it is now fundraising for children's cancer organisation CLIC Sargent.

The group had invited us to explore the Tank Museum's spots of paranormal interest along with other amateur ghosthunters.

All we knew was that Bovington is reputed to have its very own resident ghost, nicknamed Herman the German, seen near a Tiger tank in which he is thought to have died. As someone who can't even watch Casper the Friendly Ghost without a protective pillow, I was apprehensive.

But luckily, we were with people who knew what they were doing. We were briefed in ghost-hunting etiquette and introduced to an assortment of investigative gadgetry including laser thermometers and negative ion detectors, aimed at helping us discover any scientific anomalies.

We were also given basic instruction in how to use dowsing rods and crystals to ask questions of the spirit world. We were entering the unknown: information about previous ghostly experiences in the museum was restricted so as not to affect our findings.

After a ceremony of psychic protection, the lights were turned off and we were left to our own devices. We headed towards the post-war exhibition in the British Steel Hall and met up with Val and Serena, two experienced ghost hunters who had sensed something by an Iraqi T55 tank.

Our photos revealed a large number of orbs - glowing spheres invisible to the naked eye that some take to indicate paranormal activity. Mum had been loosely holding dowsing rods. They suddenly pointed to the side of the vehicle as if gripped by an invisible force.

All of a sudden, three blue flashes went off in the corner, independent of cameras or security equipment. We held hands for a séance and asked any spirits to show more signs of their presence, but were relieved when they didn't.

Before a break, Val chucked a coin on the floor, asking for the spirits to move it. We were sceptical, but she told us she had once had a five pence piece fly back at her head.

As the night progressed, we explored the other areas of interest, including a vehicle used as an ambulance during the World War Two and private rooms upstairs. Apart from more swinging of the dowsing rods, we experienced no further signs of anything ghostly.

Drawn back to where we had begun, we improvised a Ouija board, using a paper cup. As soon as we started, our torch flickered off and everything went deadly silent. The cup, which we were barely touching, started trembling and distinctly lurched when Val asked if the presence wanted us to go.

Suddenly, we all heard the sound of someone walking behind us, but there were no other groups or individuals anywhere near. I began to crave the safety of home.

Val switched on her camcorder and picked up an orb. It seemed to move and change shape as she spoke to it, at one stage taking on the appearance of a face wearing a hood or a mask. The four of us watched for nearly fifteen minutes until the battery ran out.

The rest of the night was an anticlimax. We tried other Ouija sessions in different places but ended up back at the Iraqi tank. As we approached, the whole hall was alive with banging and what sounded like more shuffling footsteps. Mum's torch flickered off.

The light we had watched earlier had disappeared and the atmosphere seemed different, as if something wanted us to leave. Was it tiredness, too much coffee or our overactive imaginations?

At the de-brief we learned that others had smelt seawater and seen the shadow of a limping figure. One woman had psychically gathered information about a 32-year-old marine who had been shot in the Falklands.

By 5.30am it was time to go home. On the way out, we asked a museum employee if anyone had reported anything strange in the British Steel Hall. He said no, but immediately guessed which tank we had been near. It was once used to gas a whole town of Kurds.

l For details of forthcoming events, see haunting experiences.co.uk or ring 01736 741226.