'Captured ghosts' sell for $2830

Trade Me has rolled back the price of "two captured ghosts" which sold last night for $5000, after several last minute bids were removed.

The auction was won by a Christchurch man, whom Trade Me has confirmed was legitimate bidder, after a flurry of bids boosted the price from $1840 to $5000 in the final eight minutes.

This morning a user named Joe158, who had been one of the final two bidders, was removed from the site.

Trade Me spokesman Paul Ford said the final price would be rolled back to the highest genuine bid which had been confirmed at $2830.

"The legitimacy of the buyer was never in doubt, we just wanted to make sure the final price paid was fair, and not ramped up by unscrupulous bidders."

He said earlier it was "disappointing" when "last minute attention seekers" sought to spoil high profile auctions.

The "ghosts" were being sold by Christchurch woman Avie Woodbury who said they had been captured from her house and stored in glass vials.

Ms Woodbury said the spirits - an old man named Les Graham, who lived in the house during the 1920s, and a powerful and disruptive "little girl", who turned up following an experiment with a ouija board - have been kept asleep by putting them in holy water which "dulls the spirits energy".

All proceeds of the auction were to be donated to the SPCA, once the exorcist's fees had been paid.

Mr Ford said Trade Me's normal success fee had been refunded to the seller as the money was going to charity.

- NZPA