The Haunting.
Priests offer to stay the night in house of ghostly happenings.
Two priests have offered to spend a night in a ‘haunted house’ to find out what is going bump in the dark. Since Erica Watkins moved into the house with her boyfriend Gary Bint and two children a fortnight ago, they have been spooked by creepy ghostly behaviour. The family of four of Glan Ffrwd, Penyrheol, claim to have seen: Televisions pushed over; Lightbulbs unscrewing from the ceiling and floating down to the floor without smashing; Plugs being pulled out of their sockets; Windows opening and closing on their own; A heavy bed banging on the floor; Drawers being tipped out without explanation.
The ghoulish behaviour happens at night. “It’s driving us mad and we can’t sleep at night because we don’t know what’s going to happen next,” 30-year-old Erica told the Echo. “The last thing we want to do is move out of the house – but we’ve been driven to sleeping at my mother’s some nights.”
Erica believes the ghost is the poltergeist of a woman, whose figure she has seen in the 30-year-old property. She added: “Sometimes the room goes cold and smells of lavender water, or our dog starts barking madly. It’s really eerie.”
Father Andrew Jones of St Catherine’s Church, Caerphilly, and Rev David Waters of St Andrew’s Church, Penyrheol, have offered to spend a night in the house. Mr Waters said: “We’ve already blessed the house with holy water but are prepared to spend a night there to see what is going on. I believe in certain spirits but if there is a need for an exorcism we would have to ask the Bishop’s permission.”
A spokesman for Rhymney Valley District Council said they have had no reports of any haunting at the property.
South Wales Echo, 10th November 1994.