Group probes strange goings-on

Shropshire has been at the forefront of the mystery surrounding big black cats and UFOs and now the county has become a hotspot for ghosthunters.

Paranormal investigators are hot on the trail of the unexplained across the county and want residents to contact them if they have had any strange encounters or dealings with spirits from the other side.

Parasearch has started its investigation in and around Bridgnorth where it is looking into a number of ghostly sightings, including the Green Lady at the town's Theatre-on-the-Steps.

The group investigated the famous photo taken during the Wem Town Hall fire in 1995 which apparently showed a little girl standing among the ruins of the burning building.

It has also launched an appeal for more information about two sightings in Worfield and Rindleford, one of which involved a coach driver giving a lift to a ghostly hitchhiker who promptly disappeared when he got off the coach.

Spokesman David Taylor, who started Parasearch in 1986, said Shropshire was a hotspot for paranormal activity.

"We get a hell of a lot of calls from Shropshire, particularly from the Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock and Morville areas," he said.

"We've been investigating at the Theatre-on-the-Steps since 1995. We go about twice a year and we've experienced some very unusual goings-on there.

"The theatre is famously haunted by a lady in a green dress who wanders down the stairs and through the bar and foyer area.

"This area of Bridgnorth certainly seems to have a strange reputation. Current thinking suggests that, for reasons we as yet don't understand, reports of apparitions seem to cluster in certain areas."

As well as ghosts, Shropshire has become a haven for UFO enthusiasts following a spate of sightings in recent months.

Earlier this month, Julie Cooper, of Church Street, Broseley, saw two boomerang-shaped lights near her home and last month Candice Taylor, of Brookside, Telford, spotted a strange basket-shaped object in the sky.

People have also reported seeing big black cats, with the most recent sighting being made in June by Shirley Lewis, of Tip House Farm, in Billingsley, who sent video footage to the Shropshire Star.

Anyone with any information for Parasearch should call David Taylor on 07505 323443 or e-mail him at david.taylor@parasearch.org.uk

By Jonathan Wood