Family seek move from home they say is haunted.
‘We live in fear’ – claim.
A Long Eaton family of seven are claiming they are being forced to sleep together in a downstairs room because of what they allege are supernatural happenings. Mr Barry Moore and his wife, Mrs Shirley Moore, of 53 Regent Street, say neither they nor their five sons and daughters, aged between 17 and seven, will sleep upstairs because of blood-curdling screams, voices and taps on the shoulder. Now they want Erewash Borough Council to move them from the privately-owned, rented house they moved into from Alveston only seven months ago. But they are unlikely to have their wish granted – for the time being, at least.
Borough director of housing Mr Malcolm Fletcher said on Monday the couple’s application for inclusion on the housing waiting list was received only three months ago and they were nowhere near the level at which they might be offered accommodation. Their only hope is that the borough council’s Housing Committee will agree in November to declare the area in which they live a clearance area – a move being sought by the director of environmental health. “If the committee does decide to clear these properties, this should expedite their chances of earlier rehousing,” said Mr Fletcher.
In the meantime, the family is facing losing their home because Mr Moore is withholding rent until certain repairs he considers need doing are carried out. He admits that hundreds of pounds worth of repairs were recently carried out on the roof, chimney stack and the back bedroom ceiling, but says other repairs are still needed.
Mr and Mrs Moore say the allegedly supernatural happenings in the house began almost as soon as they moved in. Mr Moore felt someone tapping him on the shoulder, but , when he turned, there was no-one there. A teapot lid is said to have risen on its own and a terrible scream is said to have been heard coming from the bottom of the stairs. The couple say the family became so afraid of the mysterious happenings at one point that they were all sleeping in the car. “I was on nerve pills from the doctor and one of my daughters was ysterical at the weekend,” said Mrs Moore.
Vicar of St Laurence’s Parish Church, Long Eaton, the Rev. Geoff Knox, was called in and, according to MR and Mrs Moore, said prayers throughout the house and sprinkled the walls with holy water. But, when contacted, Mr Knox did not wish to comment. He considered such matters were confidential.
Long Eaton Advertiser, 14th October 1982.