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| Fiona Vipond and Drew Bartley, seated, with a producer from the TV show My Ghost Story |
The group, Ghost (Ghost Hauntings Overnight Surveillance Team) has filmed an episode of My Ghost Story for a Los Angeles-based production company, which will air on the Sky Biography Channel tonight.
Fiona Vipond, 42, and partner Drew Bartley, 47, of Tunstall, who helped found Ghost, are thrilled their paranormal hobby will put Wearside on the map.
“I’m so proud it’s showing Sunderland to the world,” she told the Echo.
“The programme has 55 million viewers in America, so it’s giving the city a platform to be seen.”
The couple and the rest of their team, including Lady Yvonne Moore, 65, of Silksworth, Mark Winter, 39, from Blyth, and medium Noel Sorbie, 60, investigated the allegedly haunted Doxford House.
Fiona – who owns Park Grange Advanced Skin Clinic, in Grange Terrace – said the Doxford site is one of the most haunted places she has investigated.
“Put it this way,” she said. “It’s one of my top three for paranormal activity.
“We made contact with General Beckwith, who lived there, and a little girl called Emily who died in a fire.
“The last time we were in, Noel did a clearance to move the spirits on from the building, but we couldn’t move General Beckwith.”
Fiona, who has been investigating paranormal activity for the last 10 years, has had some hair-raising experiences.
“I’ve had a few,” she said. “When I’ve been on my own I’ve had my bottom pinched a few times.
“I don’t know whether it is cheeky kids, or randy old men.
“When we were in Doxford House I was the first to see the shadow man, who hangs around in the kitchen.
“I saw an apparition and felt a cold blast of air as I followed him – it was like he walked through me.”
The team work claim they work scientifically to disprove paranormal theories using a K2 meter, which measures electromagnetic frequencies, and a digital dictaphone, which can pick up voices that the human ear can’t hear.
“Even I can’t disprove the K2 meter,” said Fiona. “If it picks something up, where is it coming from?
“Nowadays you can’t just tell people what you have found, you have to have evidence to back yourself up and be able to show them.
“I’m really excited for the programme to go out. The film crew were pleased with it and have already spoken about working with us again.”
My Ghost Story will air on the Biography Channel, Sky 156, at 9pm tonight, and 10pm on Saturday.