Peterborough residents warned to look out for ghostly Black Shuck dog this Halloween
The mythical beast has reportedly been spotted in East Anglia multiple times since 1577
People across Peterborough and the East are being urged to keep an eye out for a ghostly black dog, this Halloween.
According to folklore, the beast, known as 'Black Shuck', roams the coastline and countryside of East Anglia at this time of the year.
Colin Huggins is the church tour guide at The Holy Trinity Church in Blythburgh, Suffolk - where the dog is supposed to have left claw marks on the door in the 1500s: "The Black Dog swung across the beams and terrified the congregation.
"It ran up to the vicar and ran up to two parishioners who died...
He explains the church is spooky in other ways too: "This church is also known as the 'cathedral of the marshes' because behind it you have the river Blythe and the marshes. You then get mist rising up which can make it look like the church is on fire.
"I've actually had to come and check before to make sure it definitely wasn't."
Colin tells us the Black Shuck's also been spotted in other places: "Bungay's about 12 miles from here, and legend has it he also visited that church. There are supposedly scratch marks on some of the stones there which are evidence of his visit."
He's not surprised people have bought into the myth: "You have to remember this is 450 years ago.
"A lot of people were illiterate and open to believing what they were told.
"You can imagine them hearing this story, and wouldn't you be scared in their position?
"I would! If I thought it was true I'd be terrified!"