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Luton Paranormal Society, Luton (2026)

11/06/2026

Investigation Site Harfield Canal and St Mary’s Church
Investigation Date 29.06.2019

Investigation Summary and Analysis
Environmental Conditions
The investigation was conducted during hot, dry weather with little to no wind. Ambient sounds included canal users, wildlife, passing traffic, and natural woodland noises. The woodland surrounding St. Mary’s Church exhibited a noticeable smell of vegetative decay and stagnant water. Environmental factors such as wildlife, insects, rustling vegetation, and investigator movement were present throughout the investigation and may have influenced observations.
Equipment Used
• Ovilus III
• Ghost Box
• EMF Meter
• Olympus Audio Recorder
• Infrared Cameras
• Temperature Monitor
• Silent Vigil Techniques
Grand Union Canal Investigation
Background
The Grand Union Canal has a long industrial history dating back to the late 18th century. Local folklore includes reports of a headless swordsman, a monk, and other paranormal sightings associated with the canal and its construction.
Findings
Investigators walked from Moorhall Road to Black Jack’s Mill. No visual sightings of the reported monk or headless swordsman were recorded.
Several subjective experiences were noted:
• Unease surrounding an abandoned narrowboat.
• Two investigators felt drawn to an overgrown wooded area adjacent to the canal.
• One investigator reported impressions associated with Tudor-era farming activity and burning smells during the return journey.
Assessment
No objective paranormal evidence was obtained. Observations consisted primarily of personal impressions and intuitive feelings. The overgrown area warrants further investigation due to multiple investigators independently reporting a sense of unease.
St. Mary’s Church and Cemetery Investigation
Background
St. Mary’s Church dates back to at least the 11th century and contains numerous historic monuments. The cemetery includes over 100 Anzac war graves and is surrounded by woodland, creating an isolated environment.
Woodland Vigil
During a silent vigil near the northern perimeter wall:
• Multiple investigators reported hearing footsteps and movement in surrounding woodland.
• Several shadow-like forms were reportedly observed crossing an old gateway area.
• Temperature fluctuations of approximately 1–2°F were recorded.
• Three investigators independently reported sensations of being watched or circled.
• One investigator reported hearing a groan or moan close to their ear.
• Increased insect activity was noted.
Ovilus output included words such as: “country,” “foliage,” “leaves,” “green,” and “story.”
Cemetery Vigil
Following relocation to the Anzac grave area:
• Repeated reports of unexplained knocking sounds were recorded.
• Ghost Box responses reportedly included the names “Lenny” and “Connor.”
• Ovilus generated numerous words, including “seek,” “Jim,” “Africa,” “died,” and “Rasta.”
• Investigators repeatedly detected a strong vanilla scent with a cinnamon undertone despite calm conditions and no identifiable source.
• Two investigators reported cold sensations and one experienced headache and neck discomfort.
• The investigation was concluded early due to one investigator feeling unwell.
Analysis
Strongest Observations
1. Multiple investigators independently reported sensations of being watched, circled, or followed within the woodland area.
2. Repeated reports of footsteps and movement were experienced by more than one team member.
3. The recurring vanilla scent was unusual due to its strength, frequency, and lack of an immediately identifiable source.
4. Knocking sounds were heard by several investigators but no source was located.
Limitations
• Most observations were subjective and based on personal perception.
• Wildlife, insects, woodland acoustics, and environmental conditions provide plausible explanations for many reported sounds and movements.
• Shadow observations were made in darkness within heavily wooded terrain where visibility was limited.
• Ovilus and Ghost Box outputs remain open to interpretation and cannot be independently verified as paranormal communication.
Historical Correlations
Post-investigation research identified possible links between Ghost Box/Ovilus outputs and individuals buried within the Anzac section of the cemetery, including surnames such as Connor and Patrick (“Pat”). References including “Africa,” “died,” and “camel” may potentially relate to Australian military service during the First World War, though no direct evidential link could be established.
Conclusion
The Grand Union Canal investigation produced no significant evidential findings beyond subjective impressions of unease in one wooded area.
St. Mary’s Church and cemetery generated substantially more reported activity, including multiple witness experiences, unexplained sounds, shadow observations, recurring scents, and potentially relevant equipment responses. While no conclusive paranormal evidence was obtained, the consistency of certain experiences among multiple investigators makes the woodland and cemetery areas worthy of further controlled investigation and historical research.
Future investigations should focus on:
• The woodland gateway area.
• The source of the recurring vanilla scent.
• Correlation between cemetery burials and recorded device outputs.
• Controlled audio and visual monitoring of reported footfall and knocking phenomena.
• Overall Assessment
• Evidence strength: Low to Moderate
Witness consistency: Moderate to High
Objective evidence: Limited
Recommendation: Further investigation justified, particularly at St. Mary's Church woodland and cemetery, using fixed cameras, environmental monitoring, and controlled trigger sessions to better separate environmental causes from potential anomalous activity.

10/06/2026

The Shady Science of Ghost Hunting
By Benjamin Radford published October 27, 2006
Ghosts are big business. For entities that may or may not exist, they seem to be everywhere, especially during Halloween.
They are in books and on television shows, such as CBS's "The Ghost Whisperer" and NBC's "Medium." Dozens of "ghost hunter" organizations exist across North America, small groups of self-styled ghost buffs who lurk around reputedly haunted places, hoping to glimpse or photograph a spirit.
The most famous ghost hunters are two plumbers who moonlight as paranormal investigators, seen in the popular Sci-Fi Channel reality show/soap opera series "Ghost Hunters." They go to haunted places and find "evidence" of ghosts such as cold spots, photographic anomalies called orbs, and other such spookiness.
Sponsored Links

The two featured investigators, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, are proudly blue-collar workers, not egghead Ph.D. scientists, which adds to their strong "regular guy" appeal.

Where are the ghosts?
While one doesn't need to be a scientist to search for ghosts, the pair (like most ghost hunters) could benefit greatly from a little critical thinking. They claim to be skeptics but are very credulous and seem to have no real understanding of scientific methods or real investigation. (Audiences don't seem to wonder why these "expert" ghost hunters always fail: Even after two seasons and over ten years of research, they still have yet to prove that ghosts exist!)
Though most ghost investigators' worst crime is wasting time, sometimes they make nuisances of themselves and even break the law.

In October 2005, three ghost hunters in Salem, Massachusetts, were arrested for trespassing on private property in search of ghosts. They had entered an abandoned hospital reputed to be haunted. The group was so busy looking for spirits they failed to notice the police station across the street; all three were arrested, fined, and sent home. Trespassing or vandalizing ghost hunters have also been arrested in cemeteries in Illinois, Connecticut, and other states.

Ghost detectors
When it comes to searching for ghosts, you'd think that only the most reliable methods would be used in an attempt to get solid evidence for something as mysterious and elusive as a spirit. Yet in ghost hunting, often the less scientific the methods and equipment, the more likely a researcher is to find "evidence" for ghosts.
Ghost hunters use a variety of creative—and dubious—methods to detect their quarry's presence, including psychics. Psychics not only claim to locate ghosts but also to communicate with the spirits, who unfortunately don't provide any useful or verifiable information from the afterlife [see a séance].

Virtually all ghost hunter groups claim to be scientific, and most give that appearance because they use high-tech scientific equipment such as Geiger counters, Electromagnetic Field (EMF) detectors, ion detectors, and infrared cameras [and sensitive microphones]. Yet the equipment is only as scientific as the person using it; you may own the world's most sophisticated thermometer, but if you are using it as a barometer, your measurements are worthless. Just as using a calculator doesn't make you a mathematician, using a scientific instrument doesn't make you a scientist.

Devices that don't work
In 2003, while I was investigating a haunted house in Buffalo, New York, the owner of the house asked me what equipment I planned to use. He had glanced in my duffel bag, which contained two cameras, a tape recorder, notebooks, a tape measure, a flashlight, and a few other items. Perhaps he was expecting to see a Negative Ionizer Ghost Containment backpack like the kind Bill Murray wore in Ghostbusters.

An EMF meter is among the most common devices used by ghost hunters today. I spoke to Tom Cook, of TomsGadgets.com, a British purveyor of "scientific" paranormal kits for the enterprising (and gullible) investigator. Starter kits begin at £105 (US$180) and reach up to £500 (US$850) for a custom ghost-hunting kit. (Negative Ionizer Ghost Containment packs were not listed.)
I asked Cook what, exactly, the scientific rationale was behind the equipment he sold.

"At a haunted location," Cook said, "strong, erratic fluctuating EMFs are commonly found. It seems these energy fields have some definite connection to the presence of ghosts. The exact nature of that connection is still a mystery. However, the anomalous fields are easy to find. Whenever you locate one, a ghost might be present.... any erratic EMF fluctuations you may detect may indicate ghostly activity."

In the final analysis, Cook admitted, "there exists no device that can conclusively detect ghosts."

Uncomfortable reality
The uncomfortable reality that ghost hunters carefully avoid—the elephant in the tiny, haunted room—is of course that no one has ever shown that any of this equipment actually detects ghosts.
The supposed links between ghosts and electromagnetic fields, low temperatures, radiation, odd photographic images, and so on are based on nothing more than guesses, unproven theories, and wild conjecture. If a device could reliably determine the presence or absence of ghosts, then by definition, ghosts would be proven to exist.

I own an EMF meter, but since it's useless for ghost investigations—it finds not spirits but red herrings—I use it in my lectures and seminars as an example of pseudoscience. The most important tools in this or any investigation are a questioning mind and a solid understanding of scientific principles.

The ghost hunters' anti-scientific illogic is clear: if one area of a home is colder than another, that may indicate a ghost; if an EMF meter detects a field, that too may be a ghost; if dowsing rods cross, that might be a ghost. Just about any "anomaly," anything that anyone considers odd for any reason, from an undetermined sound to a "bad feeling" to a blurry photo, can be (and has been) considered evidence of ghosts.

I was even at one investigation where a ghost supposedly caused a person's mild headache. Because the standard of evidence is so low, it's little wonder that ghost hunters often find "evidence" (but never proof) of ghosts.

Reality check
The whole idea of ghosts runs into trouble as soon as a little logic is applied.

There's not even agreement on what ghosts are—or might be. A common claim is that ghosts are spirits of the dead who have been wronged or murdered. Let's inject some real-world statistics into that assumption and see what we get.

If murder victims whose killings remains unsolved are truly destined to walk the earth and haunt the living, then we should expect to encounter ghosts nearly everywhere. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, roughly a quarter of all homicides remains unsolved each year. (In fact, fewer homicides are solved now than in the past; in 1976, 79 percent of homicides were cleared, down to 64 percent in 2002.) There are about 30,000 homicides in America each year.

Using the most recent numbers, that's about 11,000 unsolved murders per year, and 110,000 over the course of only ten years, and probably well over million over the course of the twentieth century in America alone.

Where are all the ghosts?
And why aren't they helping to bring their killers to justice, with so many crimes unsolved? Why would they hang out in scary mansions instead of directing police to evidence that would avenge their murders?

For that matter, why are ghosts seen wearing clothing? It's one thing to suggest that a person's spirit has a soul that can be seen after death; but do shoes, coats, hats, and belts also have souls? Logically, ghosts should appear naked. The fact that they don't suggests that people's ideas of what ghosts are—and what they look like—are strongly influenced by social and cultural expectations. (For an excellent discussion of this, see Richard Finucane's book "Ghosts: Appearances of the Dead & Cultural Transformation.") If ghosts exist, why are we no closer to finding out what they really are, after so much research?

The evidence for ghosts is no better today than it was a year ago, a decade ago, or a century ago. Ultimately, ghost hunting is not about the evidence (if it was, the search would have been abandoned long ago). Instead, it's about having fun with friends, telling ghost stories, and the enjoyment of pretending you are searching the edge of the unknown. (It's also about making money selling "Ghost Hunters" T-shirts, books, and videos.) Ghost hunters may be spinning their wheels, but at least they are enjoying the ride.

09/06/2026

Summary of the Manchester Place / LuBYA investigation document
The document combines a historical study of Manchester Place, Dunstable with a paranormal investigation report conducted by LPS at the Dunstable Young People’s Centre (DYPC) and former Pioneer Boys Club site.

Historical findings (Manchester Place, Dunstable)
Nos. 9–23 were demolished in 1959 to make way for the Pioneer Boys Club and later the Dunstable Young People’s Centre (opened 1961, funded by a mayoral appeal).

A surviving wall opposite the current buildings is identified as likely the only remaining original fabric of Manchester Place.

Resident analysis and records.
The author reconstructed occupancy using census returns (1851–1901), registers of electors, rate books (1910 and 1925), parish records, and local directories from BLARS (Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service) and other sources. House numbers can only be securely tied to residents from 1871 onward; earlier placements are uncertain because the road was still recorded as part of High Street North. The properties were largely owned by the Wheeler family, resulting in many short-term tenants and incomplete resident coverage.

Purpose of the investigation
Why LPS was called in
LuBYA staff members reported repeated unexplained events in the DYPC and Pioneer buildings, including footsteps in empty areas, shadows or figures seen passing through locked spaces, objects moving, smashed glass in an emergency key holder, and the famous incident of multiple darts found embedded high in an office wall overnight.

The buildings were believed to stand on the former Manchester Place cottages site, which prompted LPS to combine historical research with a paranormal investigation.

Investigation setup
Multiple vigils were conducted in the DYPC Hall, Project Office, Admin Office, and Pioneer Hall.

Tools included EMF meters, temperature measurements, night-vision and video cameras, audio recorders, and trigger objects (coins placed in monitored locations). A remote motion-triggered night-vision camera watched the office wall where darts had reportedly appeared.

Main investigation observations
Category Reported observations
Sounds Frequent taps, knocks, thuds, creaks, shuffling footsteps, apparent footsteps “upstairs” despite no upper floor, voices, clock ticking with no clock present, phone-like ringing, paper rustling, and movement noises.
Visual anomalies Orbs, pinpoints of light, flashes, moving patches of light, shadow figures, and brief oval or blob-like lights near walls and floors.
Physical sensations Localized cold spots, cold drafts on faces or arms, sudden limb chilling, feelings of being watched, unease near specific desk and doorway areas, and headaches or arm pain during the séance.
Equipment findings EMF readings were generally normal; occasional spikes in the office floor area were not corroborated by follow-up checks. Temperatures varied but without a clearly established anomalous pattern.
Trigger objects The report states that coins placed in the Project Office and Hall were later found to have moved from their original positions.

Psychic impressions recorded by participants
Several participants recorded names, images, and historical impressions. These were treated by LPS as subjective impressions to compare with archival names afterward, not as established historical facts.

Recurring themes included:
Victorian children (hoop-and-stick play, a blonde boy called “Tommy”, children named “Katie” and “James”).
Older women near cottages and gardens with roses.
Military imagery: WWI Germany, Iron Cross, cavalry, Hussars, “All Quiet on the Western Front”, and war songs.
Names such as George Smith, Billy/Billyo, Stevens, Eric, Ben/Benjamin, and others.

What the report actually concludes
The document does not present a definitive proof of paranormal activity. Its strongest historical conclusion is that the DYPC/Pioneer buildings stand on the former Manchester Place cottages site, and that the site had a complex sequence of brewery, hat-factory, residential, cinema, bingo-hall, and youth-club uses. Its strongest investigative claim is that investigators and staff documented a large number of unusual subjective experiences and unexplained noises/lights during the vigils, while instrumental measurements (EMF, temperature, cameras) provided limited and ambiguous support.

The report’s overall posture is investigative rather than conclusive: it assembles historical records, witness statements, sensor readings, and psychic impressions so that claimed names or experiences can be compared against archival resident data.

Important caveat
Many of the most striking elements (orbs, lights, names, military imagery, children, voices, and sensed presences) are presented as investigators’ observations or psychic impressions, not independently verified events. The report itself often offers ordinary possibilities for some anomalies (e.g., ceiling debris, insects, building noises, heating effects, distant voices, camera/lighting artefacts).

One-paragraph executive summary
The document argues that Manchester Place was a row of 23 worker cottages associated with the former hat-factory district off High Street North, Dunstable, later demolished in stages (1939 and 1959) and replaced by the Pioneer Boys Club and Dunstable Young People’s Centre. LPS used archival sources (census records, electoral registers, rate books, directories, parish records) to reconstruct residents and then conducted overnight vigils at the current buildings after staff reported footsteps, moving objects, shadow figures, and other disturbances. Investigators recorded numerous sounds, light anomalies, cold sensations, and subjective impressions, while EMF and temperature measurements were mostly unremarkable and the report stops short of claiming proof of paranormal phenomena, presenting the case as a correlation of witness experiences with the site’s documented historica

09/06/2026

The British Bigfoot

First and foremost, it must be noted that there are quite literally hundreds of reports on record. And, most of the witnesses come across as highly credible. There are, however, significant problems: there is zero evidence in the fossil record that any kind of ancient, large ape has ever existed in the U.K. Plus, the United Kingdom is hardly what you could call large, but it has a population which is getting close to seventy million. In other words, if seven-to-eight-foot-tall apes are roaming around the U.K., we should surely have hard evidence by now. But, we don’t. We just have fleeting sightings of such beasts – and that’s all.

On top of that, there’s the fact that there is barely a U.K. case that doesn’t have a paranormal aspect attached to it. The “Man-Monkey” that haunts the woods surrounding England’s Shropshire Union Canal was first seen in January 1879 and is noted for its spectral – rather than physical – appearance.

The “Beast of Bolam,” seen for several weeks in Northumberland, England in the early 2000s, was described by dozens of witnesses as being shadow-like. Eleven reports exist of sightings of a Bigfoot-type beast seen at the Castle Ring on the Cannock Chase, a heavily-wooded area in central England. And what might the Castle Ring be? It’s the remains of an Iron Age hill-fort. Sightings of Bigfoot-type animals (if “animals” is the right word to use) have been made near none other than Stonehenge, Wiltshire.

The Shug-Monkey of Cambridgeshire has on occasion been seen in Rendlesham Forest, England, which just happens to be the site of the U.K.’s most famous UFO encounter – which occurred in December 1980. The wilds of Devon (where Arthur Conan Doyle set most of his famous novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles) have been the site of a handful of encounters – one of which occurred at Lustleigh, Devon’s old mine-works. Lustleigh has a history of strange phenomena, such as large black cats and phantom black dogs with blazing red eyes.

That the U.K. Bigfoot is (a) often encountered near ancient sites; (b) described as being spectral, rather than physical; (c) seen where other strange animals roam; and (d) confronted at the “landing site” of the U.K.’s most famous UFO incident, places matters in a very weird light. Put all of these issues together and what we have is a creature that is clearly not a creature, after all.

08/06/2026

LPS investigates Long Crendon and Ellesborough 27 February 2009

The report documents a paranormal investigation carried out at two churches: St Mary’s Church, Long Crendon, and St Peter’s Church, Ellesborough. A team of six investigators conducted vigils, recorded temperatures, took photographs and video, and documented personal impressions and unusual observations.

Long Crendon

Two vigils were conducted between approximately 21:16 and 22:30.

Key observations included:

Reports of unexplained lights, including white, red, and orange flashes or moving points of light.
Several team members reported hearing unusual sounds such as clicking, ticking, crackling, whispering, and bell-like noises.
Marion received a number of names, words, and phrases through psychic impressions, including "Jennifer Smith," "David Bartholomew," "Judith Pearson," and others.
Steph and Richard reported sensations such as cold spots, pressure on the forehead, whispering voices, and feelings of warmth or serenity associated with the church.
Some observations were later given possible normal explanations, such as animals in bushes, distant streetlights, and acoustic effects from nearby water.

Post-vigil analysis found:

One video recording showed only an insect flying through the frame.
A photographed light on a church window may have been caused by a streetlamp or infrared light source.
Audio recordings contained unexplained knocking sounds, although natural causes such as wildlife were considered.
Ellesborough

A vigil was conducted between 00:15 and 00:48.

Reported phenomena included:

Feelings of a nearby presence.
Repeated clicking sounds heard by multiple investigators.
Moving shadows, flashes of light, and a white hazy glow on a church wall.
Marion reported psychic impressions including the words "justice was done," the name "Sylvia," and a feeling that someone had been hanged nearby.

At the end of the vigil:

Investigators concluded that a flashing red light was probably from a police vehicle parked nearby.
The white hazy light may also have originated from that source.
The clicking noises remained unexplained.
A voice or breathing sound was reportedly captured faintly on a digital recorder.
No unusual EVP (electronic voice phenomena) was found on Richard’s recordings.
Overall Conclusion

The investigation recorded numerous subjective experiences, unusual lights, sounds, and psychic impressions. While some observations were later attributed to likely natural causes such as insects, animals, streetlights, vehicles, and environmental acoustics, several sounds and visual observations remained unexplained by the investigators. The report does not present conclusive evidence of paranormal activity but documents the team's observations and interpretations during the investigation.

08/06/2026

up of watching others investigate on TV. Why not come out and investigate the Paranormal for yourself. not sure what to do then we will show you how to use equipment and at the same time you can make new friends at our social and paranormal events.

07/06/2026

Jansell House Roundabout Ghost Luton
2016

Ghostly Sighting
A Luton Resident reported seeing an old man in his would say 60s/70s and wearing a long green coat with a del boy hat (also grey hair) and it's the roundabout next to Jansel house. He was seen him about 6/8times sometimes sitting sometimes standing he has even waved at the resident.

Subsequent Research by LPS revealed

The spirit might be that of a man called John. He wore a long coat and hat, he had grey hair and he was roughly early 70's he either sat or stood at the Jansel house roundabout just starting at nothing confused. Hhe would just suddenly walk off the roundabout to tesco to buy maltesers all the time! He had loads hidden in his house on Hitchin road but would stand on the roundabout or sit just staring at nothing.

One of our members cared for him and the police were called quite a few times as they were worried about his safety. John missed his wife who passed away a few years back (John passed away in 2009). John was a spiritual man and always would say he could see his wife

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