A GHOST Walk on the narrow winding streets of Appledore turned into an unexpected field day of supernatural activity as psychics reported sightings of ghosts and claimed to have contacted spirits of the dead.

Appledore is said to have a remarkable history and many residents have reported ghostly sightings of hooded monks, fishermen and sailors in their houses. Many too have experienced poltergeists' activity, such as flying cups and glasses.

Such an unusual catalogue of happenings provoked huge interest in the Ghost Walk and Terry Bailey, who hosted the event for the book festival, had to add a second walk to accommodate the numbers.

He said: "I wasn't surprised that people saw something because so many things happen in Appledore that can't be explained. During our research of Appledore's history we found that there are more than 60 sites where ghosts have been seen around the village but I have to admit I did not expect to experience so much activity."

The first event had not even started before the sightings started. Terry explained: "A lady said that she had felt the presence of a French sailor while she was waiting for me to start the walk and that she had been talking to him.

"She claimed that he told her he had been murdered in Appledore and was buried in the churchyard and that Appledore folk didn't like Frenchies.

"Well, there was a Frenchman murdered in the village in 1902 and his unmarked grave is in the bottom of the graveyard not far from where she was standing. But he was killed by a fellow French shipmate during a fight, not by someone from Appledore."

Among the ghost walkers was Susan Roberts, from the Devon College of Psychic Studies and founder of the English Psychic Company.

She had some of her students with her and she said: "As a medium of some 25 years' experience, I have encountered many ghosts, and a great many strange and unexplained phenomena in that time and the Appledore ghost walk was no exception."

There are many tales of haunting in Appledore which have been researched by resident Mark Woolaway, his wife Penny and Terry. Penny said: "It could be that Appledore is the most haunted village in England because there are so many stories all with similar references. But most of the ghosts are friendly and people give them names, like the ghost in the post office is called Auntie Mable and there's another one called Horace."

She added: "They are not malevolent, l think it is because people don't want to leave Appledore when they die... that's why they stay here."