Celebrity ghost hunter Richard Felix has spent the last 20 years campaigning for Derby to become one of the country's top tourist venues. He is now set to take on one of his biggest challenges yet - standing as a ward councillor in Derby City Council's next elections. Jonny Birkin reports.

BY night, Richard Felix leads crowds of jittery tourists through the crooked alleyways and secret passages of Derby, jolting them with stories of the city's haunted past.

The ghost-hunter, who gathered a cult following after appearing in paranormal investigation series Most Haunted, opened Derby Gaol as a tourist attraction and founded the city's ghost walks.

Over the past 20 years, he has been campaigning to turn Derby into a top tourist attraction, leaning on its status as one of the most haunted cities in the country to draw in the crowds.

But by day, Richard will be taking on a completely new challenge – by standing as a Labour candidate for Darley ward in Derby City Council's next elections.

And Richard, who lives in Thurvaston, near Ashbourne, said he was looking forward to the challenge.

He said: "I went to school in Darley Abbey, I started my married life in Darley Abbey, I lived there for 11 years and one of my sons still lives there.

"I'm sure standing as councillor is going to be a difficult challenge but I'm really looking forward to it – I've got one huge attribute and that's enthusiasm."

Richard has already started campaigning ahead of the city council elections, due to be held next May, and said his decision on which party to stand with was an easy one.

He said: "For the last 20 years of my life, I have dedicated my time to campaigning and promoting the city of Derby's potential for tourism by focusing on its history.

"When I worked on Most Haunted, I was gone for four years and I travelled all over the world making the programme – we spent time in Europe, Ireland and America.

"I was away from home three days a week and, because I live quite far out of the city anyway, there was a long period of time where I didn't even see Derby.

"Then, when I came back, I was just amazed about how much it had changed.

"When I first started campaigning to make Derby a tourist attraction, there was no infrastructure in place, but now it's really getting there.

"We've now got the Westfield shopping centre, the Riverlights development has started and we've got huge hotels.

"This all just goes to show how much Derby is growing and I have seen all this happen under the Labour group, which is why I wanted to stand with them."

Richard said he had already set his sights on trying to re-open the post office in Mansfield Road, Chester Green.

He is also campaigning to build a new pavilion for Darley Abbey Cricket Club.

But the 60-year-old said his political ambitions would not end his television work.

He said: "There's a saying: If you want a job doing, ask a busy man.

"My great-aunt, Elsie Mac, was a former Mayor of Derby and my great-uncle Jack, who owned The Dolphin Inn, in Iron Gate, died a week before he was due to become mayor.

"My family served Derby and I am immensely proud to carry on that tradition."