More than a third of people admit they believe in ghosts, a poll out today says.

The National Lottery-commissioned study of 2,100 people found castles and stately homes were thought to be the most haunted locations.

Of the 37% of respondents who said they believed in ghosts, 46% had tried to make contact with the supernatural world at some point.

And 37% of people who believed in ghosts thought they had actually seen one.

The survey was commissioned by the National Lottery Promotions Unit which is funded by the Government, Lottery operator Camelot and the Lottery grant distributors.

Commenting on the findings Gail Porter, presenter of ghost hunting show Dead Famous, said: "Ghosts are a growing fascination in the UK and we know supernatural activity can be found in a diverse range of locations."

Four out of 10 men who believed in ghosts said they had had contact with them, compared with 36% of women who believed in ghosts.

The online poll of 2,123 adults was carried out by market researchers YouGov earlier this month for the National Lottery Promotions Unit.