The Ghost of a Prankster Sailor

Witness: Anna
Location: Mile End in London, England
Date of Encounter: June 2005

We had just gotten off the bus and were going to dinner at our friends' house. They didn't live far from the bus stop so it was around 4 PM and we were walking to their house through a quiet street. There were some houses, shops, and on the side we were walking on, a huge brick wall that surrounded a building. A young man of around 20 came running past us at a slow jog. We had not seen or even heard him until he was right next to us and he almost knocked me over! He ran a few paces and then turned around the corner. We were going in the same direction and when we got to the corner he disappeared. We followed and down we came to a gate at a dead end. It was tall and impossible for any man to fit through or climb over, and had a heavy chain and lock that looked like it hadn't been open in years! I was with four friends, and one of them hadn't even noticed the man go past!

After dinner we were drinking tea and our talk turned to all things paranormal. Our friend started telling us about the local ghost, a young Edwardian sailor who plays pranks on people by coming up behind them and things of that nature. I told our friend of the incident before on our way there and described the man we had seen. He had been wearing white baggy cotton trousers, and a blue roundneck jersey made of wool. Not much is known about who the man was or how he died, but many people in the area have seen him.