Star gazer Jonathan Cainer and paranormalist Uri Geller are planning to create a museum of the psychic and supernatural in York.

The museum would be based in the Stonegate building that now houses Mr Cainer's Horoscopes shop.

"It would actually be a museum of telepathy and telekinesis," Mr Cainer said.

"It would basically have demonstrations of telepathy. We would have an exhibition but it would also be 'come in and find out if you're telepathic'."

A visitor could try to receive a message being sent telepathically from someone in another room, he said.

Mr Cainer, 42, who lives near Easingwold with his five children, is one of Britain's top astrologers. He is hopeful that the project could soon be up and running.

"I want to get it together this year. We won't be open this summer. We might make it for next.

"We have got development money and Uri's willing to lend his money to it."

The shop in Stonegate, which sells Mr Cainer's personal horoscopes and other astrological books and gifts, only takes up a small part of the premises.

There are three floors, currently being used as office space, and an attic. Parts of the building are said to date back 600 years.

One possibility is to build an entrance to the museum in Coffee Yard.

Mr Cainer, who joins The Express newspaper on Monday after seven years as astrologer for the Daily Mail, stressed that he had only had a preliminary discussion with planners.

"I need to talk to the planning authority. One of the problems is this is a residential area.

"There is a preference to keep buildings in the city centre residential.

"But this is not a house. No one would want to live here."

He wants to work with the council, predicting that York has a rosy future ahead.

"York has a good future. The citizens of York ought to wise up, with the 21st century bringing them incredible economic opportunity."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.