Can you solve the mys-tree of the ghostly soldier in the gloom?
Halloween may have passed but this mysterious 'figure' was spotted lurking in the Staffordshire countryside.
This eerie photograph shows what could be an Anglo Saxon soldier – with broach, black jacket and helmet – at Sheepwalks near Kinver.
See Native Monster's list of the most haunted places in the West Midlands and Shropshire here
Or is it just a bush along the forest's edge? It was taken by Express & Star apprentice Jamie Brassington, who visited the area to take pictures of the low-lying mist across the countryside.
It was not until he viewed the images on his computer that he spotted the anomaly.
Kinver is well-known for its royal and ancient history – the name derives from Chene Vare, meaning 'a royal rose'. The forests were much used by King John during his reign who, when hunting in the area, took up residence at Stourton Castle.
Jamie, aged 22, from Sedgley, said: "I had just bought a new digital camera recently and, with the mist lying low over the area, I felt it was a great time to try it out. Before I took this photograph, I had paused from shooting to take in all the surroundings. It was breath-taking view around me, the mist was lying below the hillsides and it was crisp and clear sky. I was then drawn to this area of trees – it looked like quite a spooky scene.An old building lay in ruins amongst the group of trees and the mist lingered in the backgroundt."
He said: "I was stunned to find what appeared to ba figure – this certainly wasn't there when I took the photograph. I didn't know what to make of it. It looks like a person wearing a helmet – such as an Anglo-Saxon soldier. It could be a tree, but there is a distinctive shape to the object, so you can make of it what you want."
