Out at sea, there is nowhere to run.

No empty road to escape down.

No neighbouring house with lights in the window.

No safe distance between you and whatever has come aboard.

In this episode of Haunted UK Podcast, Steve explores the strange and unsettling case of The Pickering — a Bridlington-based fishing trawler said to have been haunted by something that made life at sea almost unbearable for more than one skipper and crew.

The story begins with Mick Laws, a desperate trawler skipper who contacted Reverend Tom Willis, the official exorcist to the Archbishop of York, after years of disturbing activity aboard the vessel. Crew members reported dark atmospheres, nightmares, the feeling of being watched, freezing cold areas on the bridge, pale faces at portholes, and electrical faults that seemed to defy explanation.

As the haunting intensified, the experiences became harder to dismiss. A bunk appeared to move as though someone had climbed into it, whispers were heard in empty spaces, radar and autopilot systems malfunctioned, and one crewman saw a hooded figure in yellow waterproofs standing near the prow — only to realise there was no head inside the hood.

After an exorcism at sea, the trawler seemed to settle. But when new skipper John Hilton later took ownership of The Pickering, the darkness appeared to return. Sonar equipment powered up without power, banging echoed from within the vessel, lights flickered, and the crew became convinced that something on board did not want them there.

Atmospheric, maritime, and deeply unnerving, this episode explores a rare haunted vessel case, blending seafaring superstition, witness testimony, electrical disturbances, exorcism, tragedy at sea, and the chilling possibility that some ships may carry more than their crews.

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