BUMPS in the night, ghostly stirrings and other-worldly occurrences are experienced in York more than anywhere else worldwide, according to spiritual experts.

Research by the Ghost Research Foundation has delved into spooky sightings, and discovered that the historic city is the most haunted anywhere.

Its 504 recorded hauntings beats cities including Edinburgh, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Vienna.

The new title of the world's most haunted has delighted the city's tourist chiefs.

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of the York Tourism Bureau, said: "York is a city with 2,000 years of history, so it's not surprising that we have so many ghost stories.

"We hope this latest announcement will bring even more ghost hunters to York."

The city was last year named the most haunted in Europe, before the more extensive worldwide research was carried out.

Already, many of its tourist attractions are based around the city's "spiritual" activity. Tourists visit the York Dungeon, as well as take part in numerous ghost walks and a ghost river cruise.

York Brewery even makes an otherworldly beer - Centurion's Ghost Ale - named after the Roman legionaries seen in the Treasurer's House, which have been recognised as the spooky visitors with the greatest longevity in the world.

Jason Karl, patron and co-founder of the foundation, said: "Although I remain a sceptic, I admit I have seen more things go bump in the night in York than any other city I have visited in the world."

The foundation's findings showed that York can claim to have a ghost from every period in history from pre-Roman times to the present day.

It showed that the city's historic pubs were particularly favoured as haunting grounds, with Peasholme Green's Black Swan, The Golden Fleece in Pavement and Stonegate's The Punchbowl being only a handful of those recording sightings.

Haunting high and low... some ghostly tales from York

The manager of the Roman Bath refused to stay on at the haunted pub 12 years ago after two reports of spooky goings-on.

Two men sleeping in the bath for charity had seen a blinding light fill the room and the shape of a figure. The light was seen again days later, and faded as though sucked into a hole. It is the only sighting, though noises of footsteps and of somebody washing are regularly reported.

The Golden Fleece, the oldest coaching inn in York, has a yard named after Lady Alice Peckett, whose husband John was Lord Mayor in 1702, and owned the inn. Many guest have reported seeing Lady Peckett wandering the corridors and staircases of the pub, only one of five reported spirits.

In one of York's most famous tales, plumber Harry Martindale was installing central heating to the cellars of the Treasurer's House in 1953. He heard the sound of a distant horn, gradually becoming louder, before a carthorse emerged through the brick wall, followed by a legion of Roman soldiers which looked to be walking on their knees.

He later discovered an old Roman road, the Via Decumana, was buried 15 inches below the floor of the house.

Updated: 08:15 Wednesday, May 07, 2003