Haunted house: ghost makes family quit. By Helen Lennox.
The ghostly goings-on at 84, Third Avenue, Heaton, are sending shivers down the spines of the Anderson family. The nightmare noises of a child spook are driving them from their home. Strange bangs and ear-splitting sreams have haunted the family for the last seven weeks.
“We are all really frightened” said Mrs Doris Anderson. At first we thought it was some strange sort of joke, but now we are really scared. We have tried everything and now we hope to get a priest in to exorcise the house.”
Mrs Anderson and her husband Joseph, an invalid, have two children, Peter, aged eight, and Robert, aged 16.
“The bangs started between 8 and 9 one morning and at first I thought it was someone having floorboards laid. But the noise seemed to be coming from under our stairs and we could find no explanation,” said Mrs Anderson.
“Then cooling noises began [sic] and about three weeks ago the screaming started. It sounds like a child and it is frightening. Peter has hardly eaten a thing since this started seven weeks ago. He hasn’t been at school and he is just living off his nerves. This sort of ghost seems to be attracted to children and Peter feels its presence more than the rest of the family.”
Mrs Anderson added: “The council have promised to re-house us and we will all be glad to leave this house. We called on the police to try to get to the bottom of the noises, but they could do nothing.” Mrs Anderson has even taped the banging and screaming to back up her ghostly tales. “I never believed in ghosts till now,” she said. “But strange things have been happening. Ornaments have become broken and carpets have become soaked for no reason. I really believe in them now.”
Newcastle Journal, Monday 7th April 1980.