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A paranormal probe has been launched in the Midlands following FOUR sightings of slender men – long, stick thin spectres feared around the world.

Each of the chilling close encounters took place in the Cannock area, and now X Files investigator Lee Brickley is trying to fathom why the ghoul has descended on the Staffordshire mining town.

Slender men have been a part of global folklore for centuries. They may be known by different names, but their harrowing, elongated appearance remains the same around the world.

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In Scotland the fiendish figure is known as Fear Dubh (The Dark Man), the Dutch dubbed him Takkenmann (Branch Man) and in Germany he is referred to as Der Grosse Man (Tall Man).

Dressed in a black suit, the floating figure is tree-tall and capable of stretching limbs and torso like warm toffee.

The slender man search is the second major ghostly investigation undertaken by 28-year-old Lee. Last year he revealed how a terrifying spectre, known as the Black Eyed Child, had returned to Cannock Chase after a 30-year absence.

The child, with coal-black pits for eye-sockets, roamed the beauty spot, looking to lure unsuspecting walkers on remote tracks that thread the heather.

But three of the four Slender Men sightings have been INSIDE houses.

Lee told the Birmingham Mail: “To get so many sightings at roughly the same time is unusual.

“One theory is that this has nothing to do with the supernatural and eye-witnesses are experiencing sleep paralysis, where individuals’ eyes are open but they are still in a state of sleep, and therefore unable to move.

“There are reports of Slender Men seemingly pinning victims down, as if sitting on their chest.

“That could well be down to sleep paralysis.”

A resident of Pye Green, on the fringes of Cannock Chase, says she was visited by the lean, shadowy spirit on December 14.

“I was awoken just before 2am by an odd scratching noise in my bedroom,” she said.

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“To my astonishment, there was what seemed like a sphere-shaped shadow by the edge of my wardrobe.

“As I tried to get out of bed and investigate further, the shadow began to stretch towards the ceiling.

“It was at that point I found myself faced with the most disgusting and horrific creature imaginable.

“It was about eight feet tall and had a white face with razor-sharp fangs.”

Another householder, from Slitting Mill, Rugeley, reported: “As my eyes opened, I saw a man floating over me.

“I could see into his eyes. They were a fierce red colour that shook me to my very core. The ordeal ended when the man, who was completely dressed in black with a hat to match, floated higher and higher until he hit my ceiling and disappeared.”

The only outdoor encounter comes from Castle Ring, an Iron Age hill fort that has been a paranormal hub for decades. Druids gather there during the summer solstice.

In a post on Lee’s website, the eyewitness stated: “While taking a midnight stroll around Castle Ring last Friday morning, I happened to notice a strange figure in the distance.

“It appeared to rise out of the trees and hover over the path around 100m in front of me. It was very dark, but I could see it clearly because of the lights coming from Rugeley.

“It was also a pretty clear night. If I were to compare it to anything, I would say it looked like a stereotypical Victorian gentleman - long, black overcoat with a homburg hat. I know this was no flying human because it had blood red eyes that shone in the night sky.

“It also had a mouth full of teeth that seemed to look like razors. Whatever it was, it stopped hovering and descended back into the trees. Needless to say, I did not investigate any further.”