A new version of Malcolm Hanson’s popular book Keighley’s Darkest Secrets has been published.

The local historian and ghost walk leader has updated his original book and written new chapters.

The 2010 version contains new research and answers to some of the mysteries in the original book. For the first time there are also photographs and Mr Hanson said his writing style had improved.

Keighley’s Darkest Secrets features ghosts, murders and mysteries from the town’s past.

The book is described as a rollercoaster ride into the realms of the strange, the odd and the downright violent.

Chapters cover murderous men, mysterious monuments, ghosts and gremlins, tantalising tombstones and odd bods and oddities Locations include Oldfield, Oakworth, Cononley, Cliffe Castle, Damems, Utley, Exley Head and around the town centre.

A chapter is devoted to mysteries surrounding the Brontë family.

Mr Hanson said that most of the 92-page book, which costs £9.99, was new.

He said: “A lot of it has been rewritten, the rubbish has been taken out and some of the mysteries solved. “I’ve gone for the chill factor. I’ve put flesh on the bones of the characters to make them into dramatic pieces.”

One story Mr Hanson has greatly expanded upon are the ghost sightings at Walk Mills, off Coney Lane, which warranted only three or four pages in the original 2005 book.

The initial tale attracted great interest and Mr Hanson has since interviewed several witnesses to sightings and people who knew about the mill’s history.

Mr Hanson said: “I discovered whole families and realised things about the ghost that we didn’t know before.”

Mr Hanson said he was struck by how many readers of the original book visited the locations of the stories he had related.

As a result he has included several more locations in the new version.

It is available at the House of Books, which has moved to new premises on Church Street, Keighley. It is also available from malcolm.b.hanson@gmail.com.