WITH Halloween fast approaching a paranormal investigator from just outside York has spoken about what it's like to live in one of the most haunted cities in the UK.

31-year-old Matt Barlow, from Escrick between York and Selby, has been working as a paranormal investigator across the UK for more than ten years.

Speaking to workplace solutions company, Officeology, Matt said he has always had an interest in the paranormal from a young age, and would often be found watching Most Haunted and booking onto ghost tours.

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As the publisher of his own magazine, Ghostmag.com, by day and a paranormal investigator by night, it’s maybe no surprise that he’s ended up living close to one of the most haunted cities in the UK.

York Press: Matt Barlow, from Escrick between York and Selby, has been working as a paranormal investigator across the UK for more than ten yearsMatt Barlow, from Escrick between York and Selby, has been working as a paranormal investigator across the UK for more than ten years (Image: Supplied)

“York is teeming with ghost stories. There are lots of haunted pubs like The Golden Fleece, which is home to at least five ghosts," said Matt.

York Press: The Golden Fleece in YorkThe Golden Fleece in York

"My favourite ghost story has to be the Treasurer's House, where Roman soldiers have been seen marching through the cellar. Their apparitions only appear from the waist upwards and it is believed they are walking on the old Roman road which was lower than the floor of the cellar! It is certainly one of the most haunted cities in the UK, if not the world.”

York Press: Treasurer's House close to York MinsterTreasurer's House close to York Minster

With a bank of creepy stories under his belt, there’s a couple that Matt won’t be forgetting about any time soon: “I used to work at the Holme Airbase on Spalding Moor in East Yorkshire. It was a former bomber station during the Second World War and a number of the old buildings are still used as part of an industrial estate. I worked for one of the companies that were based on the estate and it was particularly unnerving when locking up on an evening in the winter months as it could be very dark and often quite misty - it felt as though you were not alone."

York Press: Inside one of the buildings at Holme AirbaseInside one of the buildings at Holme Airbase (Image: Supplied)

"There were several strange happenings reported over the years there, said Matt.

"The fleeting apparition of an airman had been reported by a couple of staff and in one of the old technical buildings, a group of colleagues witnessed an item flying off a shelf and crashing to the floor behind them. Security had also reported hearing footsteps on the gravel drive and seeing apparitions walking in the distance.

"There was one incident where we had set up a camera in the workshop to record a time-lapse of a particular job we were working on. The camera was taking photos at regular intervals overnight that we could then stitch together to produce a video. The machinery was left on overnight, but the building was locked and nobody had access. When we were reviewing the photography, a shadowy figure appeared in one of the images in the middle of the night.”

York Press: Holme Airbase on Spalding Moor Holme Airbase on Spalding Moor (Image: Supplied)

Sadly Matt said the image no longer exists and added that it’s not just East Yorkshire that has sent shivers down his spine.

He said: “During an investigation at the National Justice Museum in Nottingham, we were in the medieval caves that were used to house prisoners. We heard what appeared to be several stones being thrown onto the sandy floor. The sceptic in me wanted to believe that these were small bits of rock that may have fallen from the ceiling, but then one hit me with force on the back.

"We were all sitting in a circle calling out to the spirits and there is no doubt in my mind that it was thrown and there was none of our group behind me. It was quite scary and I actually felt a little bit worried for our safety given things were being thrown and we were in complete darkness.”

For anyone looking to get into a spooky career like Matt, he’s shared the best locations to carry out any paranormal investigations: “Old prisons are my favourite to investigate and tend to be incredibly active. They are filled with a lot of emotion and many people have been incarcerated in their walls. Other locations, such as old hospitals, are also very spooky and tend to have a ghost story or two attached.”