It’s an island of fantastic beasts and mysterious myths – but sadly the truth about Britain’s supernatural sights is really rather ordinary. 

New research has revealed that 68 of Brits have been tricked by their own eyes, mistaking coats for people, cats for lions and shadows for monsters.

As many as one in five have mistaken a log or branch for an animal in water while 18% thought they’d spotted a ghost only to find out they were wrong, according to the survey by Specsavers.

The ‘sightings’ are probably unsurprising with 72% saying they are fascinated by stories about mysterious apparitions, including ghosts, UFOs and the Loch Ness Monster.

But some parts of Britain are more easily convinced than others. Belfast topped the mistaken sightings league with 75% reporting a mix-up, closely followed by Leeds on 74%.

Newcastle led the way when it came to wildlife of the wooden variety. More than one in four adults surveyed (27%) had mistaken a log or branch in water for an animal, compared with 20% nationally. 

The south coast is the country’s biggest hotspot for paranormal sightings made in error with 27% of people in Southampton reporting a ‘ghost’ that turned out to have an ordinary explanation.

Meanwhile 9% nationally reported the same experience with a UFO – finding out that what they thought was a close encounter, just needed them to take a closer look.

Specsavers spokesperson Lisa Hale said: ‘Mistaken sightings have fuelled myths and legends for centuries. It’s easy to see something unexpected and let your imagination fill in the gaps – and our research suggests you don’t need to be at Loch Ness for that to happen.’

The research coincided with the 93rd anniversary of the first picture claiming to show the Loch Ness Monster taken by Hugh Gray. 

Almost a century later, the mythical creature remains elusive – indicating that Gray and other monster hunters may simply need better specs.

To mark the occasion, Specsavers have sent a van carrying a cheeky slogan to Loch Ness pointing out the likeliest explanation for sightings of the monster –  ‘It’s a stick’.

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