James McAvoy used to scare his sister by pretending to be his own ghost

Scots actor James McAvoy has told how he once spooked his little sister - by pretending to be his own ghost.

The Atonement star said he loved to wind his sibling up. So he once told the eight-year-old he was DEAD during a game of hide-and-seek.

He recalled: "'Found you,' she said. I said, 'No, you haven't. I'm not James. I'm James' ghost.'"

He said his terrified sister then ran around the house screaming.

He told a US newspaper: "So my grandmother comes running upstairs, finds me laughing my head off, and beats the living hell out of me."

Glasgow-born McAvoy, 28, is currently starring alongside Keira Knightley in romantic drama, Atonement.

McAvoy's sister, Joy, is now a singer in girl band Streetside.