BOSTON -- A ghostly voice pleading, "Help me" was one of the noises heard in Middleborough's town hall, according to spirit seekers trying to determine if the building is haunted.

Ed Beaulieu and Len Anderson of the Paranormal Institute of New England presented audio and photographic evidence to town board members Monday night. No independent authorities were on hand to verify the evidence, according to The Boston Globe.

The group visited the building, built in 1873, after several reports of unexplained sounds of footsteps on stairs at night and instances of orbs appearing on videotaped community performances. Beaulieu and Anderson said that spirits are not visible to the eye, but do appear on photos, videotapes and recordings.

During their visit to the building, they said that a digital camera temporarily stopped working and a laser thermal detector malfunctioned. The man's voice heard on the recording was pinpointed to a ballroom balcony, where a photo taken of the area displayed an orb hovering over a front row seat.

Town officials thanked the men for their work and gave them permission to return for further investigations.

The building, at 10 Nickerson Ave, has served as a district court and a lock-up for transients, the paper reported.