Meet the Leeds ghost hunter organising overnight stays at a haunted house

Rob Pryke, from Meanwood, Leeds.Rob Pryke, from Meanwood, Leeds.
Rob Pryke, from Meanwood, Leeds.
A ghost hunter from Leeds is keen to get back to carrying out paranormal investigations with guests when Covid restrictions allow.

Rob Pyke, who runs the Veritas Paranormal group, supported charities and good causes by hosting three virtual ghost hunting investigaions in 2020.

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Rob set up his ghost hunting equipment in reputedly haunted buildings to live stream to Veritas Paranormal social media members during the Covid affected year.

He said the events raised almost £2,000, which was split between Leeds hospital charity Leeds Cares, Cash for Kids and the Friends of the Leeds Library on Commercial Street.

Rob and his wife Ann Marie's home in Moortown is a treasure trove of ghost hunting equipment, including a hand held thermal imaging camera and an electromagnetic field kit.

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Former police community support officer Rob, 49, said in normal times, guests are invited to spend the night in reputedly haunted buildings for a fee to help cash for good causes.

Veritas Paranormal has organised three sold out overnight stays at reputedly haunted house 30 East Drive, Pontefract - which he said is claimed to be the home of Europe's most violent poltergeist.

Up to nine guests per night are booked in for the three nights later this year - which is set to raise £600 for childhood bereavement charity Winstons Wish.

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And Rob is hoping to stage ghost hunting trips later in 2021 to the Old Leeds Library on Commercial Street and Leeds City Museum.

Rob, who has been interested in the paranormal since he was a child, said: "It is a hobby and a passion I've had for the last 30 years."

Rob said his most dramatic ghost hunting experience happened when he was with around ten people staying overnight at a former church in West Yorkshire in 2018.

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"Three of them went to the cellar area and called for spirits to come out and do their worst, and they did," he said.

"They came back upstairs and showed physical scratches to their arms. Something did it to them, but they couldn't explain how."

Rob said he has visited 30 East Drive at Pontefract around 15 times, including one memorable occasion when he said a child's pram moved as he and a guest had their hands on it.

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He said: "We asked for spirits to come and try and move the pram and the pram moved forwards on command.

"We asked for spirits to come forward and move the pram backwards and they did. It was amazing.

"We also heard footsteps upstairs when everybody had been downstairs."

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Rob added: "99 per cent of things that happen on an investigation can be logically explained.

"It's the one per cent where guests have to take those questions home with them."

For more information, go to www.veritasparanormaluk.com

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