Colchester Castle is to be pitted against other former prisons in a battle of the haunted jails.

The London Paranormal Society is inviting paranormal enthusiasts to spend Saturday nights next month at venues which once housed dungeons.

A vigil at the castle on March 27 will be the finale in the search to find south-east England’s most spine-chilling spot.

The tour will also take in Oxford Castle, the Tolhouse in Great Yarmouth and Maldon’s Moot Hall.

Organiser Ian Shillito, who has starred on TV show Most Haunted, said Colchester Castle’s long and bloody history made it a perfect candidate.

Mr Shillito said: “With the theory that misery and suffering is one of the major causes of a haunting, we concluded that jails would be ideal locations for this event.”

The tour costs £56 per person, with the historic buildings taking a share of the profits.

Log on to www.londonparanormal.com for more details.