The mysterious caves full of witches and dwarves only five miles from Ashton

Just a few miles from Ashton-in-Makerfield, there's an underground world which is said to be inhabited by dwarves and witches. What's more, the Crank Caverns has seen plenty of other paranormal activity.

The abandoned quarry, near Rainford in St Helens, has long draw in visitors from far and wide. But are the folktales of an army of bearded dwarves living deep underground true?

To find out, the Liverpool Echo set out to explore the caverns to see if there was any substance to these legends - or if we could understand why how rumours started.

Initially it was difficult to even locate the caverns, with a gate sealing off the private road that heads towards them. After walking a short way down a country path, we were met with a large home, then to the rear of the property, the entrance to the caves - heavily marked with graffiti - stood out in the wilderness.

Approaching the entrance to the caverns, it is clear why some of these legends and myths started. The sheer depth of the caves means you can't see more than five feet in front of you in the darkness - causing your imagination to run wild.

The site, formerly Rainford Delph Quarry, has been disused for many years and was thought to have been used as a game reserve and also an ammunition storage facility during the Second World War. Now officially closed to the public, the caves can still be accessed from a nearby footpath.

As we ventured slightly deeper, past the entrance, every sound from within seemed to be amplified greatly, leaving us on edge - I would definitely not recommend exploring Crank Caverns alone. One popular legend around the caves is a story of little boys being chased by dwarves. In the 1930's, a group of reporters went down looking for the dwarves.