A team of psychic experts braved a night in one of the UK's most notorious "haunted" woods - but ended up declaring it "lovely".

A group from Prediction magazine spent a night in Clapham woods, near Worthing, said to have been used by a sinister black magic cult for 50 years.

The area has become infamous for reports of dog disappearances, UFO spottings and meetings of a group called the Friends of Hecate.

Charles Walker, of Worthing-based Children of the City Paranormal Investigators, has devoted himself to tracking down members of the group, who he believes use the woods regularly.

Tania Ahsan, editor of the mind, body and spirit magazine, said: "The woods were the bit some of us were nervous about.

"But although there were a couple of places where some negative energy was picked up, on the whole it was a lovely, magical place with no Blair Witch atmosphere at all."

However, the team, including psychic Anne Nash, were more spooked by a visit to the Mermaid's Inn in Rye, on their way to Clapham.

Ms Ahsan said: "Anne picked up a lot of energy at both Mermaid's Inn and the woods.

"In one of the rooms at the inn she was feeling a constriction around the throat.

"The owner later told us that particular room had been the scene of a hanging."

The team visited Sussex for a Hallowe'en Haunted Sussex feature for the October edition of the magazine.