Copyright dailyrecord
If you've ever felt an unexpected chill while ordering a pint, or spotted something moving out of the corner of your eye that wasn't the bar staff, you may have found yourself in one of Britain's most haunted pubs. As Halloween looms, fresh research has revealed over 1,300 reported ghost sightings in pubs, hotels and restaurants across the UK. Despite every county boasting its fair share of ghostly tales, Brighton has been identified as the most haunted city, with 39 chilling encounters recorded in its pubs, hotels and restaurants, from phantom footsteps in seaside cellars to glasses mysteriously flying off shelves. The study, conducted by Where The Trade Buys, analysed reports from The Paranormal Database - a comprehensive online archive of ghost sightings across the UK and Ireland. The findings collectively present a spooky snapshot of the nation's nightlife. Greater London topped the regional list with 79 reported hauntings, closely followed by Sussex (74) and Lancashire (50). York and Edinburgh also featured prominently, both historic cities long linked with eerie folklore, reports the Mirror . York, in particular, remains true to its spine-chilling reputation. The Cock and Bottle Inn on Skeldergate plays host to an otherworldly presence locals have dubbed "The Man with the Big Nose". This ghostly apparition is thought to be George Villiers, the Second Duke of Buckingham - a 17th-century Royalist and alchemist who roams the establishment sporting his flowing dark locks and distinctive proboscis. The pub sits on territory once belonging to Villiers, which may account for his apparent unwillingness to depart. Throughout the rest of the city, residents continue to recount tales of a phantom highwayman who appears outside a historic inn, whilst visitors to neighbouring accommodation describe the sound of heavy footsteps reverberating through deserted hallways. In Edinburgh, The Banshee Labyrinth harbours its most notorious spirit - Rosie, a former lady of the night who once frequented the underground vaults. Workers insist she continues to make her presence felt, supposedly clawing or marking male staff members who remain after hours. Rosie isn't the sole supernatural resident believed to dwell within these walls. Another spectre, dubbed "Six Finger Bill", is said to lurk under tables, seizing unwary patrons by their ankles. Even the pub's most loyal customers have learnt to steer clear of particular areas. But it's Brighton that truly takes the biscuit. At Ali Cats, workmen refurbishing the bar in the 2000s reported hearing human groans and encountering sudden, unexplainable cold spots. Just a few streets away, staff at the Aquarium Public House claimed a voice regularly called out to them - often by name - when the building was empty. Then there's the Bat and Ball on Ditchling Road, where a barefooted woman in a nightdress was spotted dancing silently across the bar before disappearing into thin air. Witnesses have also reported a grey-haired, middle-aged woman who appears and disappears at will. At the Bath Arms, patrons have described a middle-aged Victorian man standing by a pillar, sometimes accompanied by another spectral figure wearing a tricorn hat. Both apparitions have been sighted since the 1990s. And perhaps most famously, the Black Lion - one of Brighton's oldest pubs - is rumoured to be haunted by Deryck Carver, the first Protestant martyr in England and believed to have been Brighton's first brewer. Burned alive in a barrel of tar in 1555, Carver's ghost is said to linger in the pub's cellar, where managers and builders alike have reported feeling an unsettling presence. One builder even claimed to see a shadowy figure moving in the upper part of the building. Emma Thompson, Marketing Director at Where The Trade Buys, commented on the findings, saying they highlight Britain's impressive hospitality history: "From centuries-old pubs to seaside hotels, each venue has its own story - and for some, that story comes with a spine-tingling twist." Pubs unsurprisingly dominate the list, making up 871 of the 1,300 sightings. Brighton alone recorded 33 haunted pubs - more than any other place in the UK - followed by York with 11 and Edinburgh with nine. In Bolton, Newcastle and Birmingham, stories are rife of ghostly regulars returning to their favourite seats, music fading in the dead of night, and beer taps mysteriously running dry. One landlord in Kent reportedly refuses to enter his cellar alone after claiming to see a pair of boots walking without a body. In Devon, guests describe seeing a man in Victorian dress gazing mournfully into the fireplace before vanishing altogether. Hotels were the second most haunted venues, with 451 recorded incidents. Edinburgh, Brighton and Aberdeen each boast five haunted hotels, while Manchester, King's Lynn and Derby follow closely behind.
