Essex named UK's third biggest haunted road hotspot

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 17:29 · Archive

Essex has been ranked third in the UK for paranormal reports on roads, with 50 documented sightings.

Essex has been ranked the UK's third-biggest haunted road hotspot after 50 paranormal reports were linked to roads across the county. Research by used car retailer Cinch analysed more than 1,100 reports listed in The Paranormal Database's Roads & Motorways section. Only Wiltshire, with 57 reports, and Dorset, with 51, ranked higher nationally.

Essex topped the list for the highest number of haunted road reports submitted directly by members of the public, with 21 sightings. Among the documented accounts is a 2023 report near Margaretting, where a driver described seeing what appeared to be a fast-moving, legless figure crossing the road before disappearing over a ditch. In Colchester, a driver travelling along Maldon Road reported seeing a strange white triangle in 2023.

Other reports include an account from Mersea Road in which a driver spotted a teenage boy sitting in the back seat through their rear-view mirror, only for the seat to appear empty when they turned around. A motorist travelling near Little Hallingbury reportedly encountered a floating black figure in the road, forcing them to brake. A separate report near North Shoebury describes a driver swerving after a man appeared from a hedge before seemingly disappearing.

The Paranormal Database combines reports from members of the public with accounts drawn from published media, historical records and other sources. Across the wider East of England region, 187 haunted road reports were recorded, ranking it second among English regions behind the South West, which had 218 reports.

How it is being reported

• Essex named UK's third biggest haunted road hotspot with 50 reportsEssex is named the UK's third-biggest haunted road hotspot, with 50 paranormal reports, including ghostly sightings near Colchester and Margaretting.Echo (Basildon) · 26 Oct, 17:00
• Essex named UK's third biggest haunted road hotspot with 50 reportsEssex is named the UK's third-biggest haunted road hotspot, with 50 paranormal reports, including ghostly sightings near Colchester and Margaretting.Brentwood Guardian · 26 Oct, 17:00
• Essex named UK's third biggest haunted road hotspot with 50 reportsEssex is named the UK's third-biggest haunted road hotspot, with 50 paranormal reports, including ghostly sightings near Colchester and Margaretting.Colchester Gazette · 26 Oct, 17:00

In this story: Essex · Wiltshire · Dorset · Colchester · Margaretting · Cinch · The Paranormal Database · East of England

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