Three in five people have said they have seen a ghost in their lifetime, according to a new poll.

With Halloween just around the corner, a new survey of 2,000 people found most believed they had had a supernatural experience, with 40 per cent saying they thought their pet had had one too.

One in three had either lived or stayed in a house they felt was haunted.

When confronted with a ghost, men were twice as likely as women to scream and run away, while other initial responses included crying, hiding and fainting.

“We know from experience that year after year people love to be scared and seek out as many frightful opportunities as possible this time of year," said Brian Fields of Groupon, which commissioned the poll. “If something scary isn’t for you or your children, carving a pumpkin, visiting an apple orchard or going on a hay-ride can also be great ways to celebrate Halloween with the entire family.”

The survey also identified other fears that give us the shivers, such as snakes, spiders, sharks, drowning, heights, public speaking, failure, bees, cramped spaces and rejection.

Even though snakes ranked higher than bees on the list of fears by a more than two to one margin, most respondents said they would rather have snakes slither all over them than be surrounded by a swarm of bees.