It started with a photo. It's now a full-blown ghost-off.

A cheeky war of words has erupted between Shepton Mallet Prison and Bodmin Jail, after Cornwall Live used a picture of the Somerset slammer in a post about the UK's most haunted prison.

Bodmin took the bait, jumping into the comments to remind everyone that the "most haunted prison in the UK" is "right on your doorstep".

But Shepton Mallet wasn't letting it slide.

In a mock-confidential letter "accidentally" posted on Facebook, the prison offered a frosty olive branch — praising Bodmin's "hustle" before inviting their social media team to spend the night inside what Shepton proudly calls "the World's Most Haunted Prison".

"You'll never be more haunted than us. Not even on a foggy Tuesday," it read.

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Bodmin hit back with a festive twist — sharing a tongue-in-cheek "letter to Santa" they claimed had been misdelivered by Shepton Mallet Prison.

"Just for Christmas? Just for a day?" it pleads. "Make us the UK's #1 most haunted jail… even if we're not."

Who's got the most ghosts? No one knows — but the paranormal pettiness is off the charts.

Bodmin has now accepted Shepton's invitation to spend a night behind bars… with Shepton offering to provide the team with nappies, just in case.

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