News
Please use the Contact page to let the Webmaster know of any paranormal news items relating to Derbyshire / Nottinghamshire / South Yorkshire that you think would be of interest to other people.
Peak Panther (added October 2022)
Teenagers Josh Williams and Ben Burns were camping in the Peak District when they spotted what they thought was a black panther eating from a carcass in a field of sheep. The location was near Edale. Video taken by Josh is available at https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/20031092/peak-district-panther-heard-growling/.
(Source: Daily Mail, 7th Oct 2022)
Market Hotel, Heanor (added August 2022)
D Reeve reports that some years ago, when he was working in this hotel, he saw a black, shadowy shape passing from one side of the bar, going towards the toilets. In the cellar, gas bottles would be turned the wrong way round and on several occasions, he heard a woman's voice calling his name.
(Source: http://ilkestontown.co.uk/feedback-page/more-scala-spooks/)
Scala Cinema, Ilkeston (added August 2022)
Jack Phillips is about to research and investigate the tales of apparitional activity having taken place at this 100 year old cinema. It seems the cinema was built on what used to be a graveyard, which may have a relationship to why the building seems to be haunted. Over 30 years ago, Vambria Walters worked at the cinema and regularly saw apparitions and heard unexplained noises. It is believed that the spirit of some member of the Brailsford family, the former owners of the building, may still be around the place, periodically making his presence known. A lady by the name of Sherry and her mother once saw the apparition of a policeman downstairs, despite the building being locked with only the cleaners being in there.
(Sources: http://ilkestontown.co.uk/ilkeston-database/scalacinema/ and http://ilkestontown.co.uk/feedback-page/more-scala-spooks/)
New Mills Art Theatre (added July 2022)
At this theatre, actors backstage have seen apparitions and phenomena involving a young girl. The matter was investigated by Bex and Shaun Reynolds and colleagues in August 2016. They went to a back dressing room upstairs and Bex tried to communicate with the girl spirit. She was subsequently entranced by the young girl's spirit and acted and spoke as if she had become the girl.
(Source: 'Paranormal Captured on Camera' on Really, broadcast 14/7/22)
Sightings of Dambuster Planes (added June 2022)
In 1943, Lancaster bombers practised flying over Derwent Reservoir, in preparation for dropping 'bouncing bombs' at dams in Germany. Recently sightings of these bombers have been made over Derwent and Ladybower Reservoirs, even though only two Lancasters are still in flying condition and neither has been flown there in recent times. Ghost images of these planes have also been reported elsewhere in the Peak District. Sightings of the spire of Derwent Church have also been made at Ladybower Reservoir, even though Derwent disappeared under the water in the process of creating the reservoir and the spire was demolished to prevent people dangerously swimming out to it.
(Source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1621060/dambuster-bombers-peak-district?fbclid=IwAR1V8lNaCYkRQwMDoCvcByoNTEZQiRD_2o3x8rLvH2HkOFQhXds0VJFlMmI)
Moving Items in Abandoned Chapel (added February 2022)
Brian Hopwood of Sheffield visited an abandoned chapel in Derbyshire, that had been used as a Sunday School. Whilst still outside, he heard sounds coming from inside the building. Venturing inside, he continued to hear beating sounds and in due course traced it to the organ as the source, even though there was no-one in the building. There were satanic symbols everywhere. He filmed a chair moving on its own and a piece of wood that had been leaning against the wall falling with no apparent cause.
(Source: 'Paranormal Captured on Camera' on Really, broadcast 17/2/22)
UFO Sighting in Dronfield (added October 2021)
In mid-September 2021, Alaska Craddock saw a vibrant red/orange light in the sky over Dronfield. It was a clear night and it was too round to be a plane . It hovered and then moved around as fast as a shooting star. Then it just disappeared into the darkness. She wondered whether it was an extra-terrestrial craft.
Spirit Communication at Wardsend Cemetery (added July 2021)
In late 2017, ghost hunter Phil Sinclair visited Wardsend Cemetery, Sheffield, looking for ghostly activity and trying to provoke any spirits into action. In response, he received the word 'nerve' on his obelus (spirit box). His query as to whether the spirit was intending to hurt him produced 'kill', followed by 'feed'. It appeared that his unethical approach to the spirits gave him what he deserved.
(Source: 'Paranormal Captured on Camera' on Blaze, broadcast 18/7/21)
Misty Figure at Bramley Vale (added May 2020)
CCTV captured what was reported by the resident of a house in Bramley Vale as being the image of a person jumping over the garden wall of the house. It appears as a red mist. In fact it is probably an image moving from right to left so close to the camera lens that the image is out of focus, although it is not clear what actually produced the image. The film of this phenomenon may be seen at https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tkv3k96zhUZJ3E4MA.
Museum of Haunted Objects Haunted (added June 2019)
The former Old Picture House in Nottingham is now used as a museum of haunted objects, i.e. objects which appear to have been possessed by a spirit. The apparition of a lady in a white dress has been seen in the museum. Other phenomena such as the disappearance of tools have also been noticed. The handle of a horse drawn hearse in the museum has been filmed moving up and down of its own accord, the handle being too heavy to have been moved by a mere breeze.
(Source: 'Paranormal Captured' on Pick TV, broadcast 10/6/19)
Haunted Caves of Nottingham (added June 2019)
When Tony Ferguson investigated the caves beneath Nottingham in 2016, he detected the smell of rotten flesh and saw a seven foot tall apparition carrying a lantern, which then disappeared through a wall. The latter phenomenon was filmed, the lantern showing up clearly, although the dark figure carrying it scarcely showed up.
(Source: 'Paranormal Captured' on Pick TV, broadcast 3/6/19)
Haunted Mansfield Village (added May 2019)
There have been strange happenings at a historic building in Mansfield known as The Village. When Lee Roberts investigated the premises, he heard a piano playing under the building. Upon entering the room containing the piano, he could see that there was no-one there. Another occurrence of this phenomenon was subsequently filmed. A strange mist in the building has been captured on CCTV but when the room concerned was examined, no mist was found.
(Source: 'Paranormal Captured' on Pick TV, broadcast 27/5/19)
Poltergeist at Barnsley Antiques Centre (added May 2019)
In 2014, poltergeist activity took place at Barnsley Antiques Centre, with various phenomena being captured on the shop's CCTV. The glass doors of a sales cabinet smashed of their own accord, various objects fell off shelves and the wall for no obvious reason - on one of these occasions, a customer was about to buy a particular picture when it fell off the shelf right in front of him. Some customers felt being touched on the shoulder. The incidents were investigated by Jane Harris, who seemed inclined to think that the cause was paranormal.
(Source: 'Paranormal Captured' on Pick TV channel, broadcast 20/5/19)
Till Opening in Nottingham Pub (added February 2019)
On October 15th 2018, in the dancehall of PRIZM, the opening of a till with no apparent human intervention set off the burglar alarm. The event was captured on CCTV and can be seen at the source below.
(Source: https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/spooky-goings-caught-cctv-nottinghams-2113583)
Mystery Explosion Rocks Doncaster (added October 2018)
Shortly after 1.30 a.m. on the 11th October 2018, there was a massive mystery explosion which rocked Doncaster. Cameron Williams-Andrews managed to film a strange hazy glow in the distance immediately after this. The explosion came from the district of Armthorpe and is so far unexplained.
(Source: https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/video-mystery-explosion-rocks-doncaster-in-middle-of-night-did-you-hear-anything-1-9391757)
Spirit Photograph at Gresley Old Hall (added May 2017)
Photographer and paranormal investigator Stu Williamson visited Gresley Old Hall in Swadlincote as part of a ghost hunting team called Haunted Souls on March 31st 2017. He turned on a smoke machine and took photographs capturing what he claimed to be the spirit of a beautiful French woman called Philippa. However, random shapes are bound to appear within smoke, some of which could easily be interpreted as being faces, i.e. the explanation might be pareidolia.
(Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4386218/Ghost-hunter-claims-pictured-ghost-beautiful-woman.html)
UFO 'Moving Lights' seen over Derby (added May 2017)
Josephine McMullen took pictures of what she claimed were 'moving lights in the sky', seen from Chaddesden on the 20th and 21st March 2017. Whilst initially thought to be UFOs, the more rational explanation is that they are probably the spotlights pointing towards the sky of the travelling circus on Bass's Recreation Ground in Derby.
(Source: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/ufo-moving-lights-seen-in-derby-over-chaddesden/story-30220280-detail/story.html)
UFO over Sheffield City Centre (added April 2017)
A CCTV camera installed on the roof of a University of Sheffield building, to film peregrines. has recorded what some claim to be a UFO rising in the night sky over Sheffield City Centre. However, examination of the fast moving lights of cars in the background imply that it may be a speeded-up film, therefore showing a star rising over time in the sky.
(Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ufo-uk-mysterious-white-light-9536627)
Cabbie photographs a UFO over Doncaster
Taxi driver Jarnel Singh was walking home through Balby, Doncaster, when he decided to photograph the sunset three times, as he thought it was particularly beautiful. When he examined the photos, he found one also contained a mysterious shape on one of the pictures, which he has interpreted as being a UFO.
(Source: http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/i-photographed-a-ufo-over-doncaster-1-7912229)
Is This the Ghost of Nottingham Shopkeeper Mrs Hopkinson? (added June 2016)
The shape of what appears to be a ghost has been recorded on CCTV at a shop called Hopkinson on Station Street, Nottingham. It appears to be looking around the dresses for sale. The original shop, back in the 1880s, was an industrial engineers merchants.
(Source: http://www.nottinghampost.com/ghost-nottingham-shopkeeper-mrs-hopkinson/story-29324904-detail/story.html)
Click here to access the archive of old News items.