I once had to travel several times a year to the south of France and often used the motorway.

This started at Calais and after about 30 miles, south of Arras, I turned right and then it was straight through to Toulon.

For some reason on the journey south I was only interested in putting miles behind me but the journey north was quite different.

Arras, of course, is a place well known for the part it played in the First World War battles and as I approached this area, and particularly as I passed the smaller cemeteries on my left, the hair on the back of my neck started to tingle. I also found I had automatically cut my speed.

I started to think of those First World War battles, perhaps because my father and uncle had both served in these parts with the RWF after returning from Galipoli.

Having passed through the area, my feelings returned to normal and the speed seemed to increase on its own accord. This always happened on the northward journey.

One day I told someone of my experiences on the way north.

Like me, he was a Second World War man and he confessed he had felt a similar sensation and put it down to the fact that spirits were still active there.

After that I spoke to several other people who did the journey frequently and agreed the area was haunted and they had reactions too.

-Paul Richardson, Rottingdean