Want the best Coventry and Warwickshire news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up here! Sign up here! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Cops in Coventry are regularly called out to deal with 999 calls about witches, ghosts and aliens.

Police have been called out to at least 20 'paranormal' incidents in the last five years, according to Freedom of Information figures.

Among the bizarre requests for help were ten about witchcraft, six concerning ghosts and four from people who had spotted UFOs.

The overwhelming majority of the calls were made between 2009 and 2011 with a handful of queries in the next few years.

Police responded to all of the calls, with most being graded as routine.

Several were classified as public safety or welfare issues, but two were listed as hoax calls and another two were put down to anti-social behaviour.

One call, made from Stoke in 2010 to reports of ghostly activity, was attributed to a wailing pet.

Ghosthunter Dave Eaves, who has been exploring paranormal activity for 16 years, said some of the ghost stories could well be true.

“Coventry has got over 1,000 years of history and was the fourth largest medieval city,” he said.

“It was known as a city of execution. People were sent to Coventry to be hung, drawn and quartered.

“Anywhere with that much history of death, crime and negativity would expect some sort of paranormal activity.

“We go out to households to reports of paranormal activity. Nine times out of ten it is explainable.

“Sometimes it’s creaky pipes, other times it’s creaky floors. Sometimes it’s even faulty alarm clocks.

“Sometimes we can’t explain it though. There are parts of Coventry where it’s more common.

“Stoke, for example. Around the back of Ball Hill there used to be a suicide burial pit.”

Coventry is rich in paranormal history, with stacks of buildings in the city reporting things that go bump in the night.

The Establishment bar and restaurant, St Mary’s Guildhall and the Golden Cross Pub all claim to occasionally receive visitors from the other side.

Dave and the Spookhunters regularly visit Coventry locations on ghost walks.

Tomorrow they are hosting a Valentine’s Day walk at Stoneleigh Abbey.