Exorcist moves in on the London flat ghost whose spirits are low.
Mr Appleford, standing with his wife, Susan, and sons David and Steven, shows the height of the ghostly figure.
A churchman, who is one of the country’s leading exorcists, was planning today to try to exorcise an “unhappy” spirit that has been terrorising a London family for the past four years. The churchman – a canon – has been called in by Lambeth borough’s housing dept after a distraught family approached the council pleading: “Please let us move out, there’s a ghost in our flat and it’s getting violent.” The Appleford family live on a pre-war council estate at Hamway House, Gosling Way, Brixton.
Mr Thomas Appleford, 27, butcher, and his wife Susan, 22, are terrified about the effect the spirit is having on their children David four and Steven three. They claim the ghost has thrown one of the children out of bed, hurled carpets about the flat, stolen a knife and screwdriver and moved furniture. The last straw came in the early hours of yesterday morning when they heard Steven screaming and found him lying in the corner of the room away from his bed. His elder brother said a man had been in the room. “When this happened I realised the ghost was getting violent and went straight to the council. They were very understanding and organised the exorcism through the Spiritualist Association.” said Mr Appleford.
“They are sending a renowned exorcist. I spoke to him on the phone and he took pity on the ghost, saying it was unhappy and couldn’t find peace of mind. But we are going to leave here any way, as I do not believe in religion and I am not convinced the Canon can expel the ghost.” The only time Mr Appleford met the ghost he mistook him for a burglar. Mr Appleford said: “I was entering the flat in the evening just as it was getting dark. As I came in I saw what looked like a big man in an old fashioned tweed jacket and dark trousers. He had his back to me. Then he disappeared.”
Evening News (London), 16th August 1974.