The Enfield Poltergeist: Britain's Most Controversial Ghost Story

With an extraordinary amount of evidence, the Enfield Poltergeist case is one of the most hotly debated ghost stories. Was it really a hoax? You decide...

By: The College of Psychic Studies.   Posted

You may have seen the movie, you may have watched the TV series, you may have read the books… but no one has satisfactorily solved the mystery of the Enfield Poltergeist. It was the biggest and most controversial case of haunting in Britain. And it has us divided as to whether it was real or a hoax.

A spooky call

The Enfield Poltergeist case began in the summer of 1977 with a call to the police. The call was made by single mother Peggy Hodgson from her council house in the Brimsdown neighbourhood of Enfield, North London. She reported furniture moving around the room of its own accord. She also explained that two of her children, Margaret (13) and Janet (11), could hear knocking sounds on the walls.

A horribly haunted house

On investigating, the police constable remarked that she witnessed a chair 'wobble and slide' for no apparent reason. Over the next 18 months, more than 30 witnesses, including journalists, police constables, ghost hunters and friends, reported disembodied voices, furniture moving around the room, toys flying through the air, and the two Hodgson sisters were seen levitating.

All evidence points to...

The case of the Enfield poltergeist produced an extraordinary amount of evidence. There are recordings, photos, physical effects and eye-witness testimony. However, the debate about whether it was real or a hoax rages on. 

Whether we believe it or not, the Enfield Poltergeist is the most publicised ghost story in Britain... so was it real? You decide!

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