TECHNICAL problems – not ghosts – are being blamed for mysterious happenings at the home of Oxford United.

Managers at the Kassam Stadium last night apologised after a technical fault caused the alarm system to go off three times in two weeks, disturbing hundreds of people.

Residents in Blackbird Leys were woken by the ground’s evacuation alarm blaring in the middle of the night, repeating the message: “Please leave the stadium.”

Referring to local folklore that the ground is cursed and haunted, householders joked that stadium managers, not spectres, were to blame for the nocturnal disturbances.

Operations director John Angus said the system had gone off on August 25, between 1am and 5am, August 30, between 4am and 6am, and August 31, between midnight and 1.30am.

He said: “There was a flood in the stadium in July when we had really heavy rain, and water came through which affected the press room where the PA system is.

“We have had to install a new system, which has cost thousands of pounds.

“As an interim measure, engineers came and added a bolt-on, to the existing system to make it work.

“We have had a couple of faults with this system, and that has been the problem.

“We apologise to residents. It has been dealt with and it shouldn’t happen again.”

Tim Rackley, 42, landlord of the Priory pub in Grenoble Road, next to the stadium, claimed: “It has gone off six or seven times in the past three weeks.

“It mainly happens in the early morning, but it also went off on Sunday afternoon when we had my daughter’s christening.

“A couple of weeks ago it was screaming really loud, like an air raid siren.

“I know it is haunted and the stadium had a gypsy curse put on it, but I think these noises are down to a lack of maintenance.”

Kim Morris-Smith, 44, of Falcon Close, was kept awake by the noise on August 25. She said: “It was beyond a joke.

“I was lying there hoping someone would turn it off.

“I shut all my windows and put my head under the pillow but I could still hear it.”

Stadium manager Rachel Harwood said: “The PA system just went mad in the middle of the night and no one knows why.

“I have heard rumours that some people think the Kassam may be haunted, but I don’t really think it is ghosts.”

Mr Angus said: “There were no ghosts and no break-ins – it was a technical fault.”

During Oxford United’s first season at the stadium, the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev Richard Harries, sprinkled holy water on the pitch and blessed the ground after a poor run of form was attributed to mysterious forces.

The belief was United’s run of 13 defeats in 17 games was down to an angry gypsy who had cursed the team and its new home after being forced off the site when construction began.