‘Haunted’ woodland pays price of ghostbusting visits

Problem not just confined to Halloween

Mr Steward’s concerns have previously been echoed by the village’s Neighbourhood Watch and parish council.

In particular, there were fears about the arrival of Celebrity Haunted Hotel Live, which was filmed at Elvey Farm Country Hotel last year on W Television, part of UKTV.

Last year, Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Martin Chambers said: “In the past we’ve had ghost-hunters coming to the village and scaring themselves witless in the woods or in the churchyard.

“It’s not just at Halloween either; it tends to continue in the weeks running up to and following on from the night, with people shouting and screaming at two o’clock in the morning.” Ghost-hunting yobs have forced a woodland charity to stump up nearly £50,000 to boost security and clean-up costs at a haunted hotspot.

The Woodland Trust says it has had to spend the money at Dering Wood in Pluckley, near Ashford.

It is said to be one of the country’s most haunted villages, attracting people from all over the country to be scared by screams in the night.

But the trust says it has had to spend £41,000 on security at the wood, and more than £6,000 on regular litter picks and to replace vandalised signs because ghost hunters keep trashing the area.

Site manager Clive Steward said: “Dering has always attracted ghost hunters due to the noises that come out of the woods, but the screams they hear are nothing more than amorous foxes.

“The damage being caused by these overnight visits is unsustainable.

“We have to employ security guards to evict people from the wood after dark, and then we have to break up camps and deal with the damage caused by fires or vandalism.

“As a charity we rely on donations from people as passionate about trees and conservation as us. We shouldn’t have to dig into our much-needed funds to patrol the woods and clear up the mess left behind by irresponsible visitors.

“We want people to enjoy the woods, but to consider other users and treat the site with the care it deserves.”

Mr Steward said there is a variety of wildlife at Dering Wood, adding: “Dormice, bats and badgers are all nocturnal animals which live at Dering.

“All have European protected status and all are at risk of being disturbed. We want to drive out the anti-social behaviour, not our wildlife.”

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Site manager Clive Steward says the trust has to deal with the damage caused by fires or vandalism left by ‘ghost hunters’