THE 'GHOST' OF AN ANTINOUS STATUE RETURNS TO A 'HAUNT' A MANSION

ANTINOUS is in the British tabloid headlines today ... or rather the "ghost" of a purported statue of Antinous has returned to a multi-millionaire TV celebrity's mansion in Wimbledon England ... to go bump in the night.

The eerie story first made headlines SIX YEARS AGO when an art collector said a marble statue of Antinous "haunted" his mansion in England, forcing him to relocate it to a museum.

"I'm convinced it's haunted," the headlines screamed, quoting financial genius Christian Levett who is worth nearly half a billion dollars.

Levett, who founded the hedge fund Clive Capital, collects antiquities which he houses in his private museum in the South of France, MOUGINS MUSEUM.

But Levett claimed that he got more than he bargained for when he bought an ancient statue of Antinous for his house in Wimbledon.

"It was delivered in a crate," Levett recalled.

"When I was locking up, I heard the sound of heavy objects being knocked over from the drawing room where Antinous was still lying in his box. But there was nobody there.

"The same thing happened the next night and the night after that. In the end, I couldn't stand it any longer. Antinous was going to be in my study ... but I've sent him to the museum."

That was six years ago and all was quiet ... until Levett sold the house for $20 million to British TV talent show host Simon Cowell.

A source told a Sunday tabloid: "Simon believes in spirits so he's been freaked out by this story.

"I don't think he was aware when he moved in. He might have to call a ghostbuster."

A neighbour added: "I know when Christian lived there the family heard unexplained noises. There'd be a bump from a bedroom then the next night a noise from downstairs."

As always, details are scant and confused ... just as they were six years ago.