Terror House.
Vicar called to home as family flees poltergeist. By Nicola Megson.
A vicar is to say prayers in a house a family claims is haunted by a poltergeist. The Rev David Humphries, vicar of St Thomas’s Church, Greetland, has visited 36, Backhold Drive, Siddall, Halifax, after desperate pleas from the family. He was due to visit again today. Mr Martin Ackroyd and his wife Shirley say they have been forced out of their home after a sequence of terrifying incidents, which have left them in fear for their lives and for the lives of their two young children.
“People are going to think we are crazy, but we can’t handle much more of this,” said Mr Ackroyd, aged 25. “I don’t know why this is happening but it has frightened the life out of me. This house just isn’t safe any more.”
The frightening events began on Monday night when Mr Ackroyd was in the bath. His stepbrother, Craig, and two friends were downstairs. “The temperature changed very suddenly and the windows began rattling,” he said. “Then there was a strange whistling noise and a horrible knocking sound. It seemed to be coming from the supporting wall in the living room. It certainly was not the wind,” he said.
Since then, Mr Ackroyd claims, things have become worse. Knives, saucers and an ash tray were hurled across the living room. The TV and lights constantly switched themselves on and off. Fires were started in the living room and at the bottom of the stairs. The fire brigade were called to the house early yesterday to put out a small fire in the bathroom which Mr Ackroyd says was started by the poltergeist. The front door slammed shut and bolted as Craig turned to leave the house. A friend who wrapped herself in a quilt to keep warm, left the house vowing never to return after the material ignited around her. Neighbours too claim they had heard strange noises from the house.
The family says the poltergeist communicates with them by whistling and constantly tells them it needs help. “The vicar has spoken to us and arranged to come to the house again. In the meantime he has told us not to go into the house until that thing has gone. It is too dangerous.”
Mr Humphries said he was concerned for the safety of the family and they would stay at other addresses in Calderdale until the poltergeist was banished. “There is something going on in that house. I know Mr and Mrs Ackroyd very well and I respect their words,” he said. “I have visited the house once and I have heard the noises and I will be visiting it again, but I don’t want to say any more than that. If I am to get rid of this phenomena using prayer I will need peace. I understand that a poltergeist – if that is what we are dealing with – feeds on high emotions and excitement. A lot of media attention will cause this and make things difficult. I am consulting other members of the clergy who know more about this problem to decide what to do.”
“I don’t blame people for thinking we’re crazy, but this is real,” said Mr Ackroyd. “I never thought I would hear or see such things with my own eyes, but I have. This sort of thing doesn’t happen in Halifax. I have never been so frightened. All I want to do is go back home and be at peace, sure that we will all be safe, but that is not possible at the moment. It’s a nightmare.”
When the disturbances became unbearable Mr Ackroyd called the police, on Tuesday night , and officers visited the house again yesterday after the bedding fire. “They heard the noises and told us it was probably a bird trapped somewhere but I know for a fact there is not a bird trapped in that house, not one that can answer us and talk to us anyway. It doesn’t actually speak in words, but whistles. We know now one whistle means ‘no’ and two mean ‘yes’,” he said.
Halifax Evening Courier, 17th March 1989.
‘I daren’t go back to my haunted house’
A man who says he has been driven from his home by a poltergeist has vowed not to return there with his family until the house is exorcised. The Rev. David Humphries, vicar at St Thomas’s Church, Greetland, was to have conducted a service of exorcism there yesterday but called the ceremony off after the Press highlighted the ordeal of Mr Martin Ackroyd at his home in Siddal, Halifax. Now Mr Ackroyd has taken refuge at his parents’ house in School Street, Greetland.
“The vicar said that whatever is in the house feeds off all the interest; he won’t conduct an exorcism while there are so many people involved,” he said. Mr Ackroyd, who has two small sons, claims knives and an ash tray have been hurled around the living room, piercing whistling sounds have echoed around the house and four fires inexplicably started in one evening. He claims contact had been made with the poltergeist, using one whistle for “no” and two for “yes.” He says strange knocking sounds have been heard coming from a wall.
“I challenge anyone to spend a night in that house, but I don’t think anyone will. I want to get back in the house, but I cannot risk taking my children in there,” he said.
The Rev Humphries was unavailable for comment today.
Halifax Evening Courier, 18th March 1989.
Poltergeist: The Sequel.
A Halifax clergyman and a local hypnotist have offered to help a family who fear their home is possessed by a poltergeist. As reported, Martin and Shirley Ackroyd have fled their home in Siddal, Halifax, convinced that evil spirits are responsible for a number of terrifying incidents, including flying objects, whistling noises and unexplained fires.
On Saturday, the vicar of St Thomas’s Church, Greetland, the Rev David Humphries, decided against an earlier offer to carry out an exorcism in the house. But today, a Pentecostal minister who has carried out other exorcisms offered to help. The Rev Eric Crampton, former minister at Mount Olivet Church, Hopwood Lane, Halifax, said: “I think the saying of prayers in the house could be of help to the family,” he said. Mr Crampton, w ho lives in Mixenden, Halifax, and is now a freelance clergyman, said: “It is certainly a challenge, as we don’t know how powerful these forces are, but no power can match Jesus Christ.”
A Brighouse hypnotist has also offered to help the Ackroyds – but to prove that the poltergeist does not exist. Mr Edward Mann, who has been a hypnotist for 29 years, wants to take up Mr Ackroyd’s challenge to spend a night in the haunted house. “I think it is all a load of codswallop,” he claimed. “I would be more than willing to spend a night in that house, because I don’t think there are any evil spirits. I do believe that the Ackroyds are genuinely scared, but I would just like to prove to them that it is all in their imagination. And if I am wrong, then I will admit it.”
Halifax Evening Courier, 20th March 1989.
Hypnotist to spend night in haunted house.
Hypnotist Edward Mann is to spend a night in a house a family fears is haunted by a poltergeist. Mr Mann, a hypnotist for 29 years who runs the Brighouse Clinic of Alternative Medicine in Gooder Lane, Rastrick, will go into the house in Siddal, Halifax, armed with a tape recorder tomorrow and will spend the night there.
“I’m going in with an open mind,” he said. “I do not believe in the supernatural, but Mr Ackroyd and his family are obviously very, very scared of something.” As reported, Martin and Shirley Ackroyd fled their home convinced that evil spirits were responsible for a number of terrifying incidents, including flying objects, whistling noises and unexplained fires. Neighbours and friends have also spoken of strange goings-on at the house including lights being switched on and off when there was nobody in.
“I am quite prepared to go in on my own and see what is happening,” said Mr Mann. “Even though I am very sceptical about what is supposed to have happened I will keep an open mind.”
Halifax Evening Courier, 23rd March 1989.
Shaken – but not stirred. By Claire Lumley.
Things went bump in the night, doors slammed and an eerie silence fell on the house where a poltergeist is said to live – but hypnotist Edward Mann emerged this morning shaken but definitely not stirred. “It was quite scary most of the time, but I didn’t come face to face with any ghosts – I think whatever it was must have gone out for the night,” said a relieved Mr Mann. The hypnotist, who runs the Brighouse Clinic of Alternative Medicine in Rastrick, spent a spine-tingling 12 hours in the haunted house at Siddal, Halifax.
The Ackroyd family have fled the house, convinced evil spirits were behind a number of terrifying incidents, including flying objects, whistling noises and unexplained fires. But Mr Mann remains convinced that the haunting is just “a load of codswallop.” Armed with a tape recorder, he bedded down for the night with his radio and kettle at hand. “Absolutely nothing happened. It was very eerie and icy cold and I heard doors banging – but that was only because there was no heating and it’s a draughty house,” he said. “I do realise the Ackroyds are absolutely terrified by what has been happening. I went in with an open mind but I found nothing there,” he said. And even though Mr Mann remains sceptical about his experience, his services are still available. “I quite like the idea of being a ghostbuster,” he said.
Halifax Evening Courier, 25th March 1989.
Blaze at ‘ghost’ house.
A derelict house once at the centre of a poltergeist mystery has been ravaged by fire. The house, at Backhold Drive, Siddall, Halifax, has been left a blackened shell after the blaze on Sunday evening. Halifax firemen had to smash their way through breeze blocks guarding the entrance of the house – which has been empty for several months – and were still on the scene more than two hours later. Police have been carrying out inquiries in the Siddal area, but believe children playing with matches could be the culprits.
Owners Martin and Shirley Ackroyd fled their home in March, convinced that evil spirits were behind a number of terrifying incidents, including flying objects, whistling noises and unexplained fires. Leading Fireman Ian Dale said he had an “open mind” about the poltergeist rumours. “We’ve all heard the stories about the house being haunted, but it’s very difficult to believe it. I think this fire could definitely be put down to children,” he said.
Neighbour Mr Jack Pollard said the house attracted many local children. “There is an opening for them to get through and we often see kids hanging around. It’s a shame the house has been ruined, though, because it could have been beautiful if someone had done it up,” he said.
At the height of the poltergeist fears, the Ackroyd family appealed to a Halifax clergyman and local hypnotist for help. But the Rev David Humphries, vicar of St Thomas’s Church, Greetland, decided against an offer to carry out an exorcism. And Brighouse hypnotist Mr Edward Mann remained sceptical about the strange happenings after spending a night in the house.
Halifax Evening Courier, 7th August 1989.
We have been asked to point out that Martin and Shirley Ackroyd were tenants of their home in Backhold Drive, Siddal, Halifax, until they left in March this year, and not owners as reported in the “Evening Courier” yesterday.
Halifax Evening Courier, 8th August 1989.