UK police comment on paranormal call outs

[Elements of the Eternal Soul]

UK police comment on paranormal call outs
Posted on Thursday, 26 March, 2015



Reports of paranormal activity have been on the rise in recent years. Image Credit: sxc.hu
The West Midlands Police have received 152 reports of unexplained phenomena over the last five years.
The peculiar statistic was revealed through a Freedom of Information request which also uncovered details of the type of cases that authorities have been having to deal with.

Between 2009 and 2014 police in the West Midlands have responded to 29 reports of UFO sightings, 43 cases involving ghosts or haunted buildings, 73 reports from people who believed that they had been the victim of witchcraft and several other incidents that were simply branded as "paranormal" in nature.

"While the figures can seem amusing, behind some of these ‘supernatural’ calls may be a deeply troubled individual or a person wasting valuable police time, which would be better spent preventing real crimes," said a police spokesman.

Nick Duffy, a founding member of the West Midlands Ghost Club, believes that the popularity of TV shows about the paranormal such as Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted could be to blame.

It's certainly no secret that there has been a huge increase in the number of paranormal investigation groups appearing over the last few years both in the UK and elsewhere.

"When we started in 1989 we were the only one in the Midlands," said Duffy.

"Six years ago there were 70. I stopped counting after that."

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-x-files-revealed---police-8890317

[Elements of the Eternal Soul]

The Birmingham X-Files revealed - police receive 150 calls about paranormal encounters

    19:00, 21 March 2015
    By Mike Lockley

Officers forced to investigate reports of UFOs, ghosts, witches, and zombies

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A UFO hovers over Birmingham's skyline

IF there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call...?

West Midlands Police, apparently.

Because the boys in blue have received a staggering 152 calls about X Files encounters.

And they haven’t just been about little green men or UFO sightings.

Over the last five years there have been reports of ghosts, witches and zombies, too.

But if the truth really is out there, the cops have yet to uncover it.

A Freedom of Information request by the Sunday Mercury has revealed there are plenty of people who believe in things that go bump in the night.

Or sometimes even in broad daylight. Alien abductions can happen any time.

Most of the paranormal claims, stretching from 2009 to 2014, seem to be a load of warlocks, however. Most were filed under “no further police action required” or “advice given”.

But officers took a February 2010 report of a witch in Brierley Hill a little more seriously.

That led to an arrest – and we don’t think it was the witch.

In all, the force received 29 calls from members of the public who endured a Close Encounter of the Third Kind with aliens.

No fewer than 43 folk were spooked by ghosts, and 73 were the victims of witchcraft.

Other incidents are simply labelled “paranormal” because they were unexplainable.

The supernatural stampede has moved the force to issue some down-to-earth advice.

If you see lights in the sky or a headless horseman, don’t use the force.

Similarly, contact a clairvoyant, not your local constabulary.

Below: Gallery of images sent in by readers of ghostly images they've snapped

VIEW GALLERY
Mickey Cunningham daughter Antonella takes a selfie and (close-up right) a ghostly figure seems to be peering from behind her shoulder

A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: “While the figures can seem amusing, behind some of these ‘supernatural’ calls may be a deeply troubled individual or a person wasting valuable police time, which would be better spent preventing real crimes.

“West Midlands Police always take action against those found to be knowingly making false and malicious calls to the emergency services.”

The figures reveal some believe that dialling 999 is much more effective than a crucifix and holy water when dealing with evil entities.

In the three years up to 2014, the emergency line was used to report 15 ghosts, 55 witches and two zombies.

Nick Duffy, leading light of West Midlands Ghost, believes police are enduring the fallout from TV shows such as Most Haunted and a hike in the number of paranormal groups.

“When we started in 1989 we were the only one in the Midlands,” he said. “Six years ago there were 70. I stopped counting after that.

“If you call a paranormal group, they will not come out of your house without something happening – and that is the real problem.

“These figure are also a by-product of Most Haunted and all the American rubbish.”

Nick stresses that calling a policeman about things that go bump in the night is nothing new.

“For people who experience things like poltergeist activity, the police have always been a go-to source,” he added.

Below: Video of strange lights in the sky above Kingshurst

And they’re not alone in handling downright weird reports.

In recent years, Nick has been contacted by a concerned individual confronted by a POLAR BEAR in Chuckery, Walsall.

He has also spoken to a woman who believed there was a werewolf in her Moseley garden.

“She hadn’t seen it, but had heard growling and scratching around the bins.

“I asked if it could’ve been dogs?”

[Elements of the Eternal Soul]

[She-ra, Princess of Power]

That's a LOT of paranormal police calls! Wow... I believe what the article says that a lot of this is due to all the paranormal TV shows these days, specifically the UFO and ghost-type shows. This puts the idea into a persons head that it MUST be a UFO/ghost. How annoying for the police. That's a lot of wasted time for them when they could be working on "real" crimes and situations. The one that stuck out the most to me is: REALLY?!?! Who would call the police about that?

[nativechick1996]

I believe in the paranormal and that most things can't be explained. But in these cases, there are members of the British public who have an overactive imagination. When I used to watch Most Haunted Live, the feeds coming in from people would see all kinds of things that wasn't there. Still it's a waste of police time and people shouldn't be abusing the 999 service like that.

[Bythia Lyon]

Wasn't there a recent study that found a link between paranormal reports and when the pubs close?

[Demonxxx]

Wonder how often this happens in the US, with each individual police department. I believe there are things that are impossible to rationally explain, no matter how hard a **** skeptic may try to make sense of it. But I also believe the belief that the paranormal can drive someone into absolute panic sometimes. When you're looking over your shoulder for a spirit constantly, you're bound to make many errors in judgment. I'll bet some of these calls of seeing people in their home could have been actual burglars lol. But many calls were probably the result of animals, raccoons, etc.

[DieChecker]

I'd like to know the age of those calling due to being afraid of witchcraft. I'd bet it was old, right-wing folks who simply walked past a metal concert or something.