York Road Poltergeist, Hartlepool

The Peterlee Star printed the following story entitled ‘Boy, 13 ‘beaten up by ghost’ on 9 July 2009, concerning an experience reported by a young Hartlepool boy.

A PRIEST has been called in by a distraught mum after her teenage son told her he had been attacked by a ghost in the family home.

Terrified mum Beverley Wilkins turned to the church after son Daniel was left bruised and bewildered by what his family say could only have been a ghost or poltergeist.

The 13-year-old had finished school and was alone in their home in York Road, Hartlepool, when he claims he was suddenly pulled upright, dragged across the living room, taken to the front door and thrown out into the street.

The incident, on Monday, is said to have lasted five minutes before the startled youngster fled to a neighbour’s house.

Mum Beverley was collecting her five-year-old son, Ethan, from the town’s Barnard Grove Primary School at the time and returned to find a group of neighbours and a trembling Daniel outside her locked front door.

Single mum Beverley, 33, who does not work, told the Mail: “Daniel told me he had been sitting on the sofa listening to music when he felt someone grab him and pick him up.

“His feet came off the floor and then someone started pushing him towards the living room door.

“Whatever it was then tried to push him into the kitchen.

“He said that the front door then flew open and he was grabbed by the arms again and pushed into the street.

“He did not see anyone throughout the whole thing but said it sounded like a man because of the heavy breathing.”

After cautiously entering their home, the family turned and fled after hearing banging upstairs and the sound of someone walking around.

They dashed to St Paul’s Church and explained what had happened to parish priest Father Richard Masshedar.

After enlisting the support of her mum, Kathleen Galloway, Beverley, her two-year-old daughter, Ellie, Daniel and Ethan all spent the night huddled together in one bedroom.

Throughout the night they claim a smoke alarm mysteriously bleeped with heavily-pregnant Beverley managing just one hour’s sleep.

Yesterday afternoon, Father Masshedar visited the family to offer support and say prayers for them.

He said: “I went to see the family as a first step and to offer prayers.

“We take it one step at a time and the first step was for me, as parish priest, to visit the family with a church warden.”

The landlord, who told the Mail it was the first time he had ever come across such a happening, said that if the family were too upset to stay at the house they would be moved as soon as another suitable property became available.