Professor’s seance is ‘last straw’ for the terrified Olivers.
Spook family flee ghostbust official.
A terrified family fled their home yesterday after a ghost-busting egghead held a spine-chilling seance with them in a darkened room. Paranormal expert Professor Derek Lawden was called in by council chiefs to investigate the nine-month haunting of 32-year-old Ray Oliver, his wife Margaret, 31, and their four young children. They have lived in fear after hearing weird footsteps in the night and seeing an ashtray fly across the lounge. Professor Lawden, a retired mathematics academic, dimmed the lights and drew the curtains for his seance watched by all the family including Kim, 11, Mark, nine, Sarah, six, and four-year-old Samantha.
A ouija board was used in a bid to contact the spirit which the family believe is tormenting them at their council house in Sycamore Road, Worcester. Slowly the board spelled the word FIRE, confirming the Olivers’s fears that the “ghost” intends them harm. “The seance was the last straw,” said Mr Oliver, out of work for nine years. “I’m convinced something awful would happen to us if we stayed here. I think there might be a fire as we sleep.”
The professor ruled out a phantom but said: “I believe the phenomena they describe really did occur.” His verdict: “It is a fairly typical poltergeist outbreak caused by nervous tension within the family, most probably from Mr Oliver. He is unemployed with a wife, children, two dogs and a cat to feed and they were cooped up in a small house. I have tried to reassure them I have never come across a case of a poltergeist causing anyone actual physical harm.”
Worcester council tried to raise his spirits by promising him another home soon. But this family packed their bags and are now staying with relatives. Yesterday they went to church to pray for an end to their ordeal.”
Daily Express, 10th February 1986.
Haunted house fears.
A family of six have fled their council home because they are convinced it is haunted. But an expert on the paranormal who held a seance with Mr Ray Oliver and his family at the house in Sycamore Road, Worcester, says the strange vibrations are coming from within the family itself.
Prof. Derek Lauden believes the mystery footsteps, shaking doors and flying objects which plague the house are produced by a release of nervous tension from Mr Oliver and his wife. “During the seance I used a ouija board which spelt out the word fire,” said the professor. “But I found out from Mr Oliver that he has always had a fear of fire in the house and I think it was his subconscious which influenced the board.”
But despite the professor’s reassurances, the couple and their four children left the house after the seance, vowing never to return. “We were already on the council’s list to be rehoused and we are going to sit it out now until we get another home,” said Mr Oliver. “Nothing would make us go back to Sycamore Road.”
Portsmouth Evening News, 12th February 1986.