THERE is a condition known as vasovagal syncope which occurs when a person becomes so scared, blood vessels dilate and the heart rate rapidly slows.

As a result of the resulting drop in blood pressure and slowing of the heartbeat, the person faints.

I often hear people say ghosts cannot harm you and that it's the living you should be scared of, but poltergeists have inflicted serious injuries and some people have died from heart failure after encountering a ghost.

Those with highly strung nervous systems – especially children – are particularly prone to psychological harm from paranormal beings, and a classic example of this allegedly took place at the Birkenhead branch of Woolworths on Grange Road in 2001 – at Halloween.

That Wednesday afternoon, a brother and sister – Izzy (who had just turned 14) and 11-year-old Gareth, decided to visit Woolworths to get some sweets and Gareth had said he wanted to see if the store had fireworks as Guy Fawkes’ Night was less than a week away.

Brother and sister left their Claughton home around 3.30pm.

Gareth had just got over a stomach bug and been off school on this day, and Izzy had played truant and had been hanging round at her friend's home on Larch Road until she decided to go home under the pretence of returning from school.

When brother and sister crossed Exmouth Street on their way to Woollies, Izzy said that as it was Halloween, they should have a race to the store, and whoever lost would be taken away by the Devil.

Little Gareth shook his head and seemed scared at the suggestion, but Izzy sprinted off down Grange Road West with Gareth running behind her.

Something bizarre then took place; a woman in a long black robe and a black hood darted out of Craven Street on the left side of the road, and she looked as if she was well over six feet in height with long pointed shoes.

She was shrieking with laughter as she overtook a startled Izzy and Gareth.

The weird woman ran into Woolworths, and Izzy and Gareth went into the store moments later.

The entire store was empty.

No customers were about, and the two children could see no staff either.

They walked around Woollies and were baffled as to why no one was serving at the counters. Gareth smiled and started helping himself to the Pick 'n Mix section, taking handfuls of sweets, but Izzy warned him that there were CCTV cameras recording everything.

Gareth was a natural-born worrier and put the uneaten sweets back.

Izzy went to look at some CDs when Gareth grabbed her elbow and said, 'Izzy! Look, it's that weird woman again!'

At first the children thought the lanky woman in black had on a Halloween mask, because she had a nose like Punch and bulging, staring eyes encircled with black rings.

She softly laughed, and it was a laryngitic chortle, and she headed towards the brother and sister.

It soon became apparent that this woman wore no mask – that ghastly pale face was a living one, and when she smiled she showed irregular and discoloured gravestone teeth.

Gareth backed away and Izzy said to him, 'Let's get out of here.'

The teen and her brother not only found the doors of the store locked, they could not see the street outside – just a thick grey void of fog. 'Izzy! There's more of them!' Gareth cried, and his sister stopped trying to open the door and turned to see there were now five of these weird hag-like women.

Izzy got out her mobile – but she could not get a signal, and she panicked.

She and Gareth ran off and tried to find other escape routes from the premises but there were none.

One of the women shouted: "These two will make a fine meal! She's got brown eyes – they're very tasty!"

"I’ll put you in a pie, laddie!" cried another one of the weird 'witches' as she chased after Gareth.

During the ensuing cat and mouse chase through the empty store, one of the terrifying entities caught Izzy and her cold claw-like hands gripped the girl's throat.

Izzy screamed, and was so frightened, she passed out.

She woke up on Craven Street twenty minutes later and found people encircling her.

Someone told her they'd phoned for an ambulance.

"Where's Gareth?" Izzy asked, and became hysterical.

She ran off and found him in a terrified state in Woolworth's.

He said he'd hidden from the creepy women, and when he came out of hiding he found they'd gone and customers and staff had returned to the store.

The boy had then gone in search of his sister and had told several adults what had happened but they seemed to think he was joking, especially with it being Halloween.

For many years, Izzy and Gareth suffered from terrible nightmares about the five figures dressed like witches – but what were the entities doing in Woolworths of all places?

I do know a Baptist chapel stood on the site of the store years before, and various people who worked at Woollies over the years have told me the place was haunted, but what on earth were those spine-chilling crones?

And will they ever return?

Haunted Liverpool 30 is out now on Amazon