What makes this Lark Lane site one of the UK’s most active for ghosthunters?

A medium and ghosthunter says a building on Lark Lane can be the most active location for spirits anywhere in the UK.

James Griffiths, who runs DeadLive Events, holds ghost hunts every month at the Old Police Station on Lark Lane which once held one of Liverpool’s most notorious women.

American-born Florence Maybrick, who was accused of murdering her husband James with poison in the late 19^th century, was taken to the cells nearest their Aigburth home after her arrest.

The case gained worldwide attention after her death sentence was reduced to life following a public outcry, and her husband was later alleged to be Jack the Ripper.

Now, although James admits there’s no evidence to suggest it is Florence who haunts the Old Police Station, he believes there is plenty of paranormal activity going on there.

He said:

“Lark Lane can be, I would say, the most active location in the UK. I’ve been across the country to some of the most haunted locations in Britain and around the world and the Old Police Station, when it works, is the one that really delivers. 

“It doesn’t happen every time but out of all the locations, that one ‘performs’ better than any.”

James, who lives in Runcorn, has been holding ghost hunts at the station – now used as a community hub – for the past six years.

He says in that time he’s seen avid ghost hunters and curious beginners experience the building.

For some it’s too much, for others it becomes almost addictive.

“We had a group of people come from London who’d done the Jack the Ripper tour there, and they ended up leaving at midnight because they couldn’t take the atmosphere any longer.

“Sometimes you can go and nothing happens and at other times you’re in there and people go, ‘what the hell is going on, it’s like a hell hole has opened up.’

“We get a lot who repeatedly come back, sometimes even though they hate it, because that’s the thrill.”

James runs DeadLive Events around the UK including many in Liverpool landmarks such as St George’s Hall, Croxteth Hall and the Adelphi Hotel.

But he says the combination of the Old Police Station’s history and past experiences there make it exceptional.

“We don’t just go into Florence Maybrick’s cell, although obviously that gets a lot of interest. Over the years I’ve been given access to other spaces because we work with the community centre, and that includes one on the first floor which I call the morgue.

“People go up this staircase and along the corridor and they really don’t like it, even the team say the same, there’s something in there.

“Cleaners in the building report seeing someone walking into one of the back rooms after they’ve locked themselves in, and people have seen policemen who’ve then disappeared, in the ladies toilet in particular. 

“There have been sightings of a lady in Florence Maybrick’s cell, although there’s really no reason for her to haunt it. She is supposed to have only been held for seven days before being transferred to St George’s Hall. 

“But Florence and James lived in Aigburth, near the Cricket Club, and there’s a picture of their home in the cell. If you mention it, that’s when things can kick off in there.”

James runs the Lark Lane ghost hunts each month, starting from 9pm and ending around 2am. People are invited to bring along any specific equipment of their own that they’d like to use while they’re on the vigils.

He also gives a presentation on the site, being careful not to give too much away about what may or may not happen during the evening.

Given the age of the building, Victorian era methods such as glass divination and table tipping are popular, he explains:

“We do tell people they may feel something – maybe angry or ill, they might smell smoke, see lights or a person, hear voices or groaning, turn around and feel as though someone is stood next to them who’s not there.

“But we don’t talk about specific incidents that have happened before because we want people to feel things for themselves. We don’t want to place those ideas in people’s heads before they come because it’s better to go in with an open mind and then you’ll experience and feel more.”

Find more information about the Old Police Station on Lark Lane Ghost Hunt here.

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