The malevolent presence occupied the top of the house, a dark brooding shadow that seemed attracted by the Heather's children, especially her older daughter, Maria, who was then five.

When Maria touched a certain toy, mist would come off her arm and her hands would seem green. The toy is now locked away in a cupboard. While the toy was around, Maria started to have petit mal fits, but now they have cleared. Heather believes the toy was responsible. Heather's husband has seen the green mist on the landing and is frightened for the family by the terrible, brooding presence, the inexplicable noises and the looming shadows. Heather didn't want psychic investigators, just peace from the ghost that haunted their nights and darkened their days.

Maria talked constantly about a pig on the landing that carried her to her parent's bedroom. He was in the house, Maria said, because he thought there was water. All this was seemingly a natural invisible friend plus maybe some kinetic energy, were it not for the terrifying nature of the presence. Heather persuaded the vicar to carry out of blessing ceremony in the house, and things calmed down for about two weeks. But then, Heather told me, the presence returned, angry because the vicar had tried to take it away from its home.

Downstairs remains fine, but Heather's younger daughter Trina will not even go upstairs to the toilet alone in the daytime. Trina is three and one night sat in bed staring at the curtains, and telling her father about all the funny lights she could see at the window. The family has lived in the house for ten years, but the trouble began when Maria was 18 months old. There is some mystery about how the previous owners died, apparently tragically, not long before Heather's family moved in. Did they hate children? Is their tragedy fueling the presence?

I don't think I was a lot of help except to acknowledge that Heather's fears were not irrational. I gave her the telephone number of a reliable healing association I felt might be able to put the house at rest. I never heard the outcome, but it was a lesson to me no to automatically seek the family tension explanation for poltergeist disturbance.