ONE of the region's cities has been given a new title - the most haunted city in Europe.

Tourism chiefs are now selling York as the ideal place to go for those who wants to send shivers down their spine.

The title comes from the Ghost Research Foundation International, founded in Oxford ten years ago by parapsychologists Jason Karl and Daniel Holmes.

The foundation claims to be one of the leading organisations in the world of psychic research, and this week it announced that York has more ghosts than any other European city.

"We have travelled extensively working on research projects across the globe and nowhere have we found more ghosts than in historic York," said Mr Karl.

The city is already noted for the number of guided ghost walks on offer for tourists, and following the new title the local tourism bureau is planning a Haunted York weekend.

The event, on September 6 and 7, also marks the tenth anniversary of the foundation and the public will be able to book on to ghost investigations.

Psychic investigators will team up with others from the scientific world, using mediumistic abilities as well as technical instruments measuring electromagnetic and temperature variations, and cameras and audio recording equipment.

As a preliminary, Mr Karl will be running a series of seances at the York Dungeon next Tuesday, from 6.30pm.