If you want to live in a town where spooky beings frequently go bump in the night then Romford is the place for you, according to a Rightmove survey.

More than 30,000 people took part in the estate agents’ alternative census, asking people to name their top towns for ghost spotting.

Romford was placed fifth in the UK receiving 24 per cent of the vote while 23pc of people mentioned Havering which came tenth.

Abiola Oni, research manager at Rightmove, said: “Good transport links and high achieving schools are often the first things people think about, but in the alternative census we were able to get an entirely new perspective about the towns and cities people call home.”

Havering has been known as a place of paranormal activity for many years.

Spooky happenings date as far back as the 16th century with locations including Hornchurch Country Park, Havering Museum and Upminster Golf Club mentioned.

Bill Graham, founder of the Essex and Kent Paranormal Research Society, said: “I am not at all surprised to hear that Romford is considered to be a haunted hotspot.

“Many people don’t think it is an area subject to paranormal activity because it has been modernised over hundreds of years with new buildings so people do forget that they are sitting on the site of old properties with a lot of history.”

The Brookside Theatre in Eastern Road, Romford, gained global attention last year when CCTV footage of a chair and table moving across the audiotorium unaided went viral, attracting millions of views on YouTube.

Bill said: “I think people become more aware of the area because when they hear of any ghostly activity as it is something interesting and makes the borough stand out from others.

“It’s not everyday that you get to see or feel the presence of a ghost so for those who believe in spirits, it is very much a positive point.”

Torquey, in Devon, home to a large number of haunted buildings, topped the list with Stoke on Trent second, Wigan third and Dundee fourth.