A new study examining paranormal occurrences, hauntings, and tales of UFOs has named Manchester one of the most haunted places in the UK.
From a phantom man in a dark suit seen carrying a briefcase down halls at night by inmates at Strangeways before vanishing before the condemned cell, to a house with a 381-year-old skull boarded up inside its walls, Manchester certainly has some horrifying tales to tell.
Now our haunted status has been confirmed by new research conducted by caravan rental platform PaulCamper, which named Manchester the fifth most haunted city in Britain after looking at a range of different sightings of ghosts, vampires, and poltergeists, as well as tales of UFOs, fairies, and mythic legends.
Manchester has been named one of the most haunted places in the UK / Credit: Pxfuel
55 different reports of paranormal activity in Manchester contributed to the ranking, including 43 reports of “haunting manifestations”, two poltergeist sightings, two UFO reports, and even an evil curse.
These included a story about Brannigan’s nightclub (now Albert’s Schloss), where staff report being pushed down the stairs by an invisible ‘force’ that also causes trouble behind the bar; sightings of a white (or grey) lady, thought to have drowned in a pond that once stood at Picnic Corner on Broadoak Road after escaping from a castle; and numerous sightings of different specters at Elsham Gardens, a private residence in Gorton.
Sand Street, Harpurhey / Image: Peter McDermott via Geograph
Of course, we already know that Manchester is hardly short of haunted locations like Ordsall Hall and Barnes Hospital – but even some of these stories had previously slipped us by.
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The study also widens the net by including Manchester in Lancashire (wrong, we know), naming this as the third most haunted region after Yorkshire and Greater London, with a total of 585 paranormal sightings.
Including 32 poltergeists, 24 legends, 16 UFOs, 14 fairies, five curses, a dragon and even a wereworlf, it seems we certainly live in the most intriguing area when it comes to exploring paranormal fantasies of all persuasions.
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Beating Manchester to the top spot was Brighton, followed closely by York and then Bristol.
Want to find out a little more about some of the most haunted places in Greater Manchester? We’ve rounded up the spooky haunts here.
Public urged to call the police if they see this wanted man
Daisy Jackson
Cheshire Police are appealing for the public’s help in tracing a wanted man with links to Macclesfield and Alsager.
Joshua Wyatt, 34, is wanted on recall to prison, and officers are urging anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts to come forward.
Wyatt is described as being 183cm (6ft) tall and of medium build, with a bald head and blue eyes.
Police believe he has links to both Macclesfield and Alsager.
Anyone who sees Wyatt or has information about where he may be is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 or report information via the force’s website.
Information should be provided quoting reference number 26000809013.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption
Daisy Jackson
Transport for Greater Manchester has announced a shuttle bus scheme to help Manchester United fans get to Old Trafford this week, amid major tram disruption.
Fans won’t be able to use trams to get to the ground as usual, due to huge improvement works which are in place until Monday 2 November.
There’ll be no trams at all on the Altrincham, Trafford Park, and Eccles lines, with Airport and East Didsbury trams only going as far as Firswood.
That means that fans heading to Manchester United’s home game against Bournemouth would have been a little stuck without this newly-announced shuttle bus service.
Frequent dedicated shuttle buses will run running Piccadilly Gardens, Altrincham Interchange and the Trafford Centre, taking fans directly to Old Trafford before the game.
Frequencies range from five to 20 minutes depending on the route and time, with details available online. Return services will be in place after the final whistle.
TfGM staff will be at key stops and interchanges throughout the day to help fans get to the match and provide travel advice.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption. Credit: TfGM
Ian Davies, TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “There is no good time to disrupt passengers to carry out these works, and this is the first time in over a decade that trams won’t serve Old Trafford on a match day, but these works are essential and will enable us to provide a better service in future. I am very sorry to fans who face disruption.
“We’ve put a range of alternative travel options in place, including dedicated shuttle buses, bolstered Bee Network bus services, rail options and ticket acceptance arrangements will help fans get to and from the game.
“Journey options will be different from usual, so we would encourage supporters to plan ahead, check their route and our website before they travel and leave plenty of time to get to and from the stadium.”
TfGM is advising supporters to leave around an hour earlier to help make sure they arrive in time for kick-off.
Georgina Pellant -
26th October 2021 
