CHESTER has been placed upon a list of the most sought-after spooky locations for October breaks.

According to data from social media, the city is among the most searched for destinations in the country during the Halloween period.

Travel experts Harbour Holidays say that Chester received 1.1bn views on Tik Tok, placing it second on the list of the most popular destinations in the UK.

Harbour Holidays says of Chester: "This creepy historical city has seen some very violent history, from the Roman legions stationed here, one of whom still haunts the city walls, to the bloody civil war which ended in the King's execution.

"If you want a cosy place to share a drink with one of the city’s ghosts, then look no further than The Pied Bull. The city’s oldest pub built in the 1100s hosts a whole menagerie of ghosts from the cellar right up to the guest rooms."

Elsewhere, York - which has a reputation as the most haunted city in Europe - was the most searched location (1.2bn views). From the Vikings to the Normans, from the Romans to the Victorians, there have been plenty of grisly goings on through the city's bloody history. In fact, there are supposedly over 500 hauntings within the ancient city walls.

The town which provided the atmospheric backdrop for Bram Stoker's Dracula, Whitby, came third in the list with 576m views. A sleepy fishing village by day, Whitby can become a lot more sinister by night. Head up to the ruins of Whitby Abbey and maybe you'll encounter the apparition of its founder St Hilda who still keeps a careful watch over wayward visitors.

The medieval city of Canterbury and the Scottish village of Glencoe round out the top five with 139.8m and 115.3m views, respectively. In Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, the then archbishop Thomas Becket was brutally murdered by the king’s knights, losing his head in the violence. Despite his savage dispatching, visitors have been known to encounter the former archbishop floating above his tomb.

Glencoe is one of Scotland's most beautiful areas of untamed wilderness, but this wild location was once the eerie background for a bloody battle and a merciless massacre. It’s not surprising then, that locals who call it the ‘Glen of weeping’ claim that the spirits of the slain haunt the foggy landscape, forever seeking their revenge.

Other notable destinations include Bodmin (8m views), Pendle (5.4m), Eyam (3.5m), Boscastle (2.1m) and Manningtree (584,300).

Nicky Stanley, Owner of Harbour Holidays, said: "What better time for a spooky getaway than Halloween?

"Whether you're visiting the haunted harbours of Cornwall, or the ghostly walled cities York or Chester, Britain's haunted destinations are causing quite a stir on TikTok with billions of views of our scariest destinations."

More information about Harbour Holidays is available at: harbourholidays.co.uk/.