Woman haunted by mystery noise at her 18th-century home moves to B&B for some sleep

 

By Beth Hale

A strange sound that vibrates through the walls at night; no known explanation, experts confounded ... It's a mystery that some might consider just a little spooky.

Mother-of-three Deborah Atsoparthis, 54, just wishes it would stop.

The former executive PA has been driven to despair by the mysterious night-time noise that first disrupted her sleep in the small hours five months ago.

Shaken: Deborah Atsoparthis, right, with neighbour Kath Room, both complain they suffer sleepless nights

Since then the peculiar vibrating hum that reverberates through the walls of her two-bedroom flat each night has baffled a plumber, an electrician, a building surveyor and the noise experts at her local council's environmental health department.

Even a noise detector has failed to solve the mystery.

Now Mrs Atsoparthis, who stopped work after one too many sleepless nights, has been forced to take up residence in a nearby bed-and-breakfast in order to get the sleep she needs.

Each day she returns to her flat in Kidlington, Oxfordshire to hit the phones and computer in an attempt to solve the mystery, and each night she retreats to her £50-a-night sanctuary down the road.

Divorcee Mrs Atsoparthis, who brought the leasehold flat two and half years ago, told today how the problem first began in September.

'I would be asleep for about three hours and then it would start, it sounds like a washing machine, and it would eventually die down at about five or six in the morning.

'It vibrates and is worst in my bedroom where it feels like the bed is moving.

'I thought I was going mad.

'There's no way of getting back to sleep. Typically I'll move around the flat, try and sleep in the sitting room or the spare room, drag the duvet around, make a cup of tea, anything to get away from it. For a while I kept a fold-down bed made up in the sitting room.'

Mrs Atsoparthis spoke to the managing agent for the 18th-century building, who investigated whether noise from a neighbouring property could be to blame.

When that failed a plumber was called, then Cherwell District Council, a surveyor, an electrician and most recently a builder.

Mrs Atsoparthis was asked to keep a diary, which she was already doing, and was eventually given noise-detecting equipment - but it failed to pick up the strange vibration.

The vibration is so persistent, she said, that gaps have developed around the light switches as the walls are damaged.

Now the bewildered homeowner has given up on sleeping there.

'I've just had enough,' she said.

'I was so tired I couldn't even get myself to work. It was ridiculous. I am trying to stay positive but it's not nice. It is frightening and disturbing, especially not knowing what it causing the noise.'

A spokesman for Cherwell District Council said it had investigated.

He said: 'The council carried out intensive investigations in January and February 2009. These included visual inspections of the property and neighbouring flats and the installation of noise monitoring equipment. These did not indicate anything out of the acceptable noise range or show evidence of noise arising out of inappropriate activities by other occupants.'

Mrs Atsoparthis has been prescribed sleeping pills by her doctor and has no idea how much her investigations, lost job and breakfast bill have cost her - but says it is 'thousands of pounds'.

'It can't go on. I'm eating into my savings and I will soon run out of money,' she said.

The homeowner is not alone - neighbour Kath Room, 37, has also suffered sleepless nights.

She said: 'It is not as bad in my flat - it is definitely worse in Deborah's.

'It's so bad I don't know how she can sleep and nobody seems to be taking it seriously. It is very distressing.'

The most recent attempt to get to the bottom of the problem was made by a builder who visited this week and suggested some beams in the attic may need repair.

As for any suggestion of a paranormal explanation, Mrs Atsoparthis is sure there must be a more 'rational' answer.

'I suppose I could always ask a  priest,' she said. 'I don't think I need to call the ghostbusters, but I realise some people might look at it like that.

'I just want my life back. I cannot go on like this.'