Simple explanation to 'ghost' sighting

A local area's a so-called ghost rider is apparently haunting a lonely dark stretch of road north of Newcastle in the New South Wales Hunter valley.

Drivers are hitting phenomenal speeds, risking their lives, in the hope they will see a 'ghost'.

While the Lemon Tree Passage phantom has been proved to be nothing more than an optical illusion, police are hoping young drivers will see some sense, and forget about the so called ghost.

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Dozens of young drivers have been caught speeding, trying to rouse the ghost rider.

Crime Commander Chief Inspector Peter Fox is worried about the urban legend.

"There's no ghost, the only one they're going to create is one for themselves," he said.

The only spooks haunting Lemon Tree passage now are holding radar guns and wearing blue uniforms.

Highway patrols are swarming the road, stopping speeding drivers in their tracks.

"The reality is the chances are more higher than probably most areas that if you go out there and speed you're going to get caught," Peter said.

"Or die."

Paranormal investigator Murray Byfielde visited the ghostly road during the day.

It is a busy road joining a string of coastal villages.

He searched for bends in the road, clumps of bushes that could hide a machine behind a hoax.

He found nothing.

It is only at night when the so-called ghost emerges. Murray filmed the apparition, three times.

"Each run we did we pulled over and we waited and only waited a minute or two and every time we waited a car came past," he said.

"I don't believe it's a ghost.

"I believe it's just regular headlights of cars a good kilometre or so down the road."

Chasing the optical illusion has become a deadly pastime.

In the past few weeks police have pulled over a couple of vehicles and both of them were red p-platers.