http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Ghosthunter-plans-visit-Derby-s-City-General-Hospital/article-659589-detail/article.html

Ghosthunter plans to visit Derby's City General Hospital

DERBY'S own ghosthunter, Richard Felix, says he wants to visit the City General Hospital to investigate sightings of a "black shadow" ghost.

The hospital yesterday confirmed that an e-mail had been sent to staff by senior manager Debbie Butler after reports of a ghost in the medical records department.

The e-mail, an attempt to reassure staff, stated that someone would be called in to exorcise the department.

But the hospital has now said that would not be the case and that it would be using its own chaplain service to talk to and reassure staff early next week.

Mr Felix, of Living TV's Most Haunted programme, said he would be furious at the idea of an exorcism and said there was no need for panic at the hospital.

"A ghost is not there to scare people. That is not what they do," he said. "To call in a exorcist is ridiculous.

"The impression of ghosts as scary is the sort of nonsense dreamt up by Hollywood."

Mr Felix is currently filming in Portsmouth for a television programme about ghosts but said he would be keen to go to the hospital.

"I would like to go there and reassure staff. What I have set out to do is try to prove to people what ghosts really are and understand them."

And he said he would be interested in finding out more about the ghost. He said there could be many reasons it was there and that it could have been disturbed by building work at the hospital.

According to Mr Felix, there are two main types of ghost.

He said: "The first is of someone who has chosen to stay behind either because they are frightened of moving on because of what the Bible says about us burning in hell if we have done something wrong, or because they loved the place so much. It could have been a nurse who loved their job.

"The second main type is like a recording which is held in the bricks of a building. It is not an intelligence as such and is just like pressing replay on a video player."

The Bishop of Derby's adviser on the paranormal, Elaine Jones, said she had been in discussions with the hospital's chaplains and was there to advise and help them.

The hospital said the "black shadow" sighting was made by two members of staff.

But other press reports have claimed there have been dozens of sightings in recent weeks.