Terrified villagers are hanging scarecrows with huge PENISES outside their homes - after an evil widow ghost started ''killing their husbands''.

Residents said that five fit and healthy young men had died in recent weeks in a spate of sudden deaths in the remote village in Nakhon Phanom, north east Thailand.

They believe the ghost of a local widow is terrorising the village - with a population of 90 people - by seducing men in their sleep and taking their spirits to the after life for her to have her way with.But the deeply superstitious locals have found a solution - placing outside their homes scarecrows wearing red clothes showing their erect manhood with a painted red tip. Some also have labels on them saying 'there is no man here' while other blokes have been forced to wear women's clothes and make-up to bed.Incredibly, the make-shift solution appears to have worked and not a single man has passed away since the scarecrows were made about a week ago.

Relieved pensioner Nong Ayu, 68, said: ''People in the village have been very afraid of the widow ghost. There have been rumours that men in a neighbouring village have also died.Nobody knows why and the village elders are afraid that the young teenagers will die next. There could be no more men left here.''

The five deaths of the healthy men started earlier this month. They died in their sleep shortly after having a bath and going to bed. Villagers made the straw puppets and started putting them outside their homes. They believe the penises display masculinity and strength which will repel the ghost.