THE Bermuda Triangle has long been a source of international mystery, with planes and ships disappearing without trace into the ocean.

Now the North has its own version of the legendary site -the Yorkshire Triangle.

Researchers have identified a 221sq mile area between York, Harrogate and Leeds as the second most haunted place in Britain. It was also named the country's best location for seeing UFOs.

Yorkshire was only beaten by Cornwall in the findings.

The team was led by paranormal expert Lionel Fanthorpe and workers spent months collecting documented cases of UFO and ghost sightings, crop circles and mysterious creatures.

They then plotted them on a map and came up with three triangles where paranormal activity was at its strongest -in Cornwall, Yorkshire and Norfolk.

The York area is no stranger to hitting the headlines for its ghostly happenings. Two years ago, it was named the most haunted city in Europe.

Mr Fanthorpe, who is president of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena, said: "The three affected areas have all experienced battles, plagues, trauma and tragedy over the centuries -factors which may stimulate increased paranormal activity.

"But the presence of ley-line intersections, irregularities in the Earth's magnetic and gravitational fields, or even extra-terrestrial activity could all play a part in forming these mysterious triangles."