The family who hunt ghosts together

They say scary experiences bring people together, so the Canham family should be fairly close-knit – as they go on ghost-hunting trips together. While most opt for a day trip to the countryside or beach, parents Wendy and Gary and teenage daughter Nikki prefer to explore the tunnels of a Victorian coastal fort.

‘We have never been down there and not heard something,’ said hairdresser Mrs Canham.

‘It’s everything from tapping, cold spots and strange light orbs, which we’re told are spirits.’

Armed with a torch and digital cameras, the family from Stanford-le-Hope in Essex have taken shots they say show spirits floating around their head and torchlights inexplicably bending. The Canhams caught the bug two years ago when 16-year-old Nikki’s parents were invited to Coalhouse Fort in Tilbury with her school drama class for Halloween.

‘While we were there, I heard a lot of strange noises,’ said Mrs Canham, 37. ‘I heard dragging, scraping and tapping and my hands kept going cold for no reason.’

Since then, they have spent about £2,000 on entrance and guide fees. Nikki admitted friends think her hobby is a little weird but she cannot wait to turn 18 so she can go to more haunted buildings.

‘I’d love to go hunting somewhere like Hampton Court,’ said Nikki. ‘I want to find the most haunted place and spend the night there.’


/Metro.co.uk/