Impressive villa where grisly mass murder took place is being offered for free

Mexico: A 'haunted house' which was the scene of a gruesome mass murder is being offered for free as the local council steps up its efforts to get rid of the eyesore property.

Built by a wealthy businessman, the dilapidated property in the Mexican town of Orizaba, in the south-eastern state of Veracruz was once an impressive villa.

But it has been left to deteriorate ever since the man and his family were murdered in particularly grisly circumstances by a jealous servant.

The exact details of the disturbing date - chiefly the date - are not known, but tourism coordinator Lara Barragan explained: "It was a terrible tragedy.

"He lived there with his wife and two children and they hired a manservant to manage the property and cook for them.

"But he was jealous of their wealth, and he killed the entire family including husband and wife and the two children by poisoning their food.

"He planned to bury their bodies in the garden, but was caught in the act by a friend of the dead man, who attacked him and killed him."

For many years, however, the property has remained empty and, according to villagers, is now believed to be haunted by the ghosts of the murdered family.

After several failed attempts to sell it, the local council is now offering to give it away for free to anybody who is prepared to make it into a living home.

But whoever takes it may be in for a shock - as neighbours say everybody who has tried to spend the night in the property has fled in terror after being spooked.

Ms Barragan said: "They all said they had fallen into a deep sleep in which they were visited by the most terrible nightmares and woke up in screaming terror."

Obscured by hoarding, the house is now a ruin and a shadow of its former self, obscured by a large wooden hoarding and an ancient tree.