Virtual tour of caverns

Caverns beneath the Black Country are the first underground attraction in the country to feature a live 24-hour webcam allowing people to experience a virtual tour.

People can see inside the famous Singing Cavern beneath Castle Hill, Dudley, by logging on to www.beneath-dudley.co.uk

The webcam has been installed to coincide with the launch of the popular ghost tours into the tunnel, and people who watch it can keep an eye out for any paranormal activity.

Dudley Canal Trust, which runs boat trips into the tunnel, decided to install the camera, expects a lot of people to take a look. June Hodgetts from the Trust said: "We are the first underground visitor attraction to have a live 24-hour webcam and I think it will attract a lot of interest."

Viewers will see boats enter the caverns, journey along the tunnel, before stopping for the music and light show, and then making their way back out.

The camera came about following a wedding which had taken place in the unusual venue, a disused limestone mine reached by new canal tunnels constructed in 1984 and 1989.

One of the guests noticed a shadowy shape in the picture and contacted the Trust thinking it might be an apparition.

June Hodgetts added: "There will be two types of people who will want to view the webcam, those who are interested in geology and those interested in the paranormal.

"If anyone thinks they see something strange when they are looking they can hit a contact button, and we will be sent a copy of the image."

Ghost tours will run every day from October 23 until 31 and cost £8.25.

Last year 1,000 places were available but due to the popularity of the trips an extra 600 places are available for 2007.

Anyone who wants to book should call 01384 236275.