Waiting at a bus stop has to be one of the most boring activities known to man.

But not always. My husband and I were filled with excited anticipation as we stood in the cold looking for the double-decker to arrive.

The reason? This was no ordinary bus: painted midnight black, with crimson curtains and subdued table lamps, we were about to board The Ghost Bus and embark on a journey around the historic city of York getting acquainted with its ghosts.

And many a ghosts inhabits this ancient stronghold. “York is one of the most haunted cities in Northern Europe,” our tour guide Jeremiah Roundbottom - the name being as far-fetched as some of the stories we were about to hear - announced.

We piled on to the former Routemaster, belonging to the Necropolis Bus Company, which began in London in the 19th century as a private funeral bus service. The vehicles, or ‘carcass coaches’ as they were then known, were able to convey the deceased, pall bearers and up to 50 mourners to the final resting place.

Jeremiah was a ball of energy, his eyes bulging and mouth gaping as he recounted tales of ghosts said to be inhabiting certain buildings. As we passed the Museum Gardens he launched into the tale of the Black Abbot, a monk who inhabited St Mary’s Abbey, the ruins of which can be seen in the gardens.

Around the corner, the Theatre Royal came into view, whereupon Jeremiah described the Grey Lady, a former nun based at a hospital on part of the theatre site. She fell in love with a local nobleman and, after her discovery, was imprisoned in a small, windowless room and left to die.

She continues to haunt the theatre, having been spotted by many an actor, wardrobe assistant and other staff members.

“There are no actors on this tour,” Jeremiah whispers, “But if you feel hands on the back of your neck or around your ankles…”

The windows do get steamed up - at least they did upstairs - so for those unfamiliar with York, it can be a struggle making out landmarks in the dark, so I would recommend a window seat. It can also get quite cold on the bus, so wrap up warm.

Micklegate Bar loomed into view, where for centuries the severed heads of rebels and traitors were displayed above the gate. “It is said that when you come through the bars you get the feeling that you are being watched,” barks Jeremiah.

A graveyard under the road, a burial ground under a supermarket car park, a ghost walking through the grounds of York Minster, the massacre at Clifford’s Tower, the unsettling stories go on and on.

Jeremiah points out a former hospital converted into flats where crying and ghostly noises have been heard. “One resident work up in the night and found all the bedclothes neatly folded at the bottom of the bed.”

A comical foray into the past comes as the passengers are asked to summon up the spirit of characters including Dick Turpin and King Richard lll, who appear on a video link. We are also in contact with Abigail, on work experience, who has been left alone in the eerie corridors of Terry’s former chocolate factory which is taking on a new life as luxury flats.

Our driver, Bob, took us past the Golden Fleece, one of York’s oldest and most haunted pubs which five resident ghosts including Lady Alice Peckett, wife of a former Lord Mayor of York who owned the hostelry, a one-eyed man in a red coat and Geoff Monroe, a Canadian airman.

The tour is thorough, weaving around off-the-beaten track areas, past little-known sights such as Dick Turpin’s grave. Jeremiah does not let up, keeping the passengers entertained to the end, as the bus - quite literally - shudders to a halt.

*W:ghostbustours.com T: 0844 5678 666. Tours depart from beside York Station, bus stop RE

at the south side of the Royal York Hotel on Station Road. Arrive 15 minutes before departure and quote your order number