by Paul Hooper
Ghost hunter Thomas Rose expected to hear “things that go bump in the night” when he visited Britain’s scariest forest.

But the noises in Pluckley Woods – regarded as one of the UK’s most haunted areas – weren’t made by ghosts and ghouls.

And the eerie and blood-curdling screams weren’t coming from beyond the grave....but from beyond the car park where thieves had set off his vehicle alarm!

Canterbury Crown Court heard how bogeyman Hakan Gursel, 22, and pals had taken the opportunity to break into Mr Rose’s car and spirit away a wallet containing £40 and a satnav.

Mr Rose had gone with friends ghosthunting in May last year– planning to camp at an area known as Screaming Woods.

The court heard how Gursel, from Brockley in South East London had arrived later in a Cherokee Jeep with friends.

They then smashed their way into the car and snatched the wallet and satnav... and planned to vanish unseen into the night!

But after the car alarm was heard the police had been alerted the jeep was stopped and officers discovered Gursel with the missing wallet.

Gursel, who denied theft, claimed he had found the wallet at Pluckley Rail Station...and was planning to hand it in to police.

After the guilty verdict the court heard that although Gursel had no previous convictions, he had received three official police warnings in 2005 for burglary, in 2009 for handling stolen goods and in 2011 for taking a car without consent.

The Judge Recorder Peter Harrison QC said: “You had gone to a car park in Pluckley Woods, an area people go ghosthunting.

“I accept that it was others who broke into this car but you then joined in. You took a wallet with £40 in it. When you were stopped by police you denied taking the wallet.

“You maintained that denial at your trial but the jury convicted you on very clear evidence.

"This was an opportunistic theft which you, no doubt, took to boost your income from benefits and no doubt gave you more money to spend on cannabis. You have still shown no remorse.

“Cars parked in isolated rural car parks are vulnerable and to have a wallet stolen is upsetting – fortunately the wallet was recovered quickly.”

Gursel was given a 12 month community order which includes him spending 18 hours at an adult attendance centre.

He will also have to do 80 hours of unpaid work and pay £100 costs
At an earlier hearing before magistrates another man was found not guilty of theft from Mr Rose’s car.