REAL-LIFE Ghostbusters have succeeded in banishing unwanted ghosts from a tormented Scots mum’s home.
After two failed attempts by a Church of Scotland minister to rid single mum Vicky Dann’s Dalkeith home of spooks, the Midlothian Paranormal Investigations (MPI) stepped in to finish the job.
Ms Dann, (40), today spoke of her relief after members of the MPI managed to identify the mystery ghost and send him packing.
Vicky claims she and daughters Jenna, 18, and Emma, 11, started seeing spooky apparitions and orbs of light two years ago, and have hundreds of photos to prove it.
She said Emma would regularly see a man in black disappear down the hall.
Vicky said her daughter’s lives had been turned upside down by the hauntings, with her youngest missing school, and all three sleeping together in the living room.
Apologising
Church of Scotland Minister, Keith Mack, had performed two blessings at her home, but Ms Dann said this had only made the problem worse.
Members of the MPI spent three nights last week assessing the haunted house before sending in their expert medium, Jackie Drummond, who identified the spook as Thomas Laidlaw, a man who died in 1923.
Vicky explained: “He was a wandering spirit who had got lost, he was dressed in war time clothing and kept apologising, saying he was lost and didn’t want to harm us.”
The ghost-busting squad also discovered that Vicky’s house had been built over a mass-grave of ghosts of dead woman and children.
Vicky said: “They think it could be a plague pit. It is really chilling but I am just glad it has all ended now.”
Vicky said she was amazed by the ghost-busting squad’s efforts and felt like the spooks had gone for good.
Different
She said: “It is really amazing, it has completely done the trick. “After the second visit from the Church of Scotland Minister, the problem just got worse. It was so bad that we could hear loud banging all day and me and girls were sleeping together in the living room.
“It has been a massive relief to get rid of the ghosts, it’s like a totally different house now.”
Vicky said her daughters had missed school and college due to suffering from sleep deprivation.
She said: “Emma is back at school now and Jenna is back at college.
It’s like we can finally start to get our life back on track.”
Medium Jackie Drummond, who did not charge Vicky for her service, said she was happy that Vicky and her family could finally be at peace.
She said: “I am so glad for Vicky. She was really upset when we first met her and her youngest daughter seemed very reserved. I am glad we managed to detect the spirits and sort this out.”
Ms Drummond performed a white wash of the house, which involved the medium going into every room to detect any spirits, making direct contact with the spirit, and asking it to leave the house.
Members of the MPI team had earlier set up trigger objects such as children’s cuddly toys, infrared video cameras and voice recorders to try to pick up any activity.
Educate
Lead investigator and co-founder of MPI, Aileen Copland, said: “It is not unusual in these cases for nothing to be picked up, ghosts don’t appear on request. We brought in one of our mediums Jackie who was able to pick up on the spirit.”
Vicky added: “The investigators did warn me that it was common for the problem to get worse before it gets better, but since they helped me out my house has gone back to normal.
“I was such a sceptic before all this happened. If someone had told me their house was haunted I would have thought they were off their head and called them a liar.
“A lot of people have teased me and said I was being ridiculous, but when it happens to you, you have to believe.
“My family’s life was turned upside down and now we can finally get on and live our lives.”
The MPI squad was set up in 2008 and currently has seven full time members, Aileen explained: “People believe in ghosts and spirits and need somewhere they can go for help, somewhere that people won’t laugh at them and will take them seriously.
“Our aim is to educate people how to properly carry out investigations.
“I am delighted that we were able to help Vicky and that she says she is finally at peace in her home.”
