A man has elected to live in what is thought to be one the UK's most haunted house - and says he goes to bed every night clutching a crucifix.
Micky Rawlings is an author currently researching a documentary about the supernatural.
The method man has set up home in sinister property ‘The Cage’ in St Osyth, Essex, said to be home to poltergeists responsible for assaulting, scratching and even BITING past residents.
But while musician Micky has been heralded for his bravery, he admits that he does get unnerved by his surroundings.
He said: "I’m not a religious man and yet I go to bed every night clutching a crucifix for my own safety.
“After a few days, I got to learn the natural noises of the house. Now the non-natural noises keep me awake at night.”
Single Micky, 39, says most people think he’s a bit ‘bonkers’ for undertaking the challenge in the property labelled one of the 'UK's most haunted houses' by TV series Great British Ghosts.
And during the dark periods of intense paranormal activity even he wonders what he’s got himself in to, fearing the gaff could one day KILL someone.
The father-of-one, who also works as a painter and decorator, said: “I’m trying to go about my daily life as best I can, but it’s hard."
The Cage itself first shot to fame in 2012 when owner Vanessa Mitchell, 40, told how she was forced to flee the house when she spotted black shadowy figure standing over the cot of her infant son, Jesse.
The Cage itself has an eerie history, having once served as a prison that was in use until the early 20th century.
Spookily, in the 16th century 13 women accused of being ‘witches’ were chained there prior to their execution by hanging.
The vengeful spirit of one these ladies, Ursula Kemp, is thought to be roaming the property still.
And now the home is for sale, for £290,000, as Vanessa refuses to set foot back inside the front door, having owned it since 2009.
The advert placed by Essex-based estate agent Lawrence Antony Homes even reads: “A high level of a paranormal activity has been recorded here.
"When we visited the property to commence marketing we noticed some strange finding on our photos. This unusual property is a one-off in English history.”
Now Micky, originally from Barking, east London, is living there until Vanessa manages to give the keys to a new victim.
And Micky is helping Vanessa pay the mortgage by arranging and supervising paid-for ‘ghost hunting’ nights for members of the public.
Speaking about some of the unusual phenomena he claims to have witnessed, he says, "I’ve seen books flying off shelves in the upstairs hallway, I’ve watched doors open on their down, and I’ve even seen a shadow person with my own eyes.
“This was in the room I’m now using as my bedroom. The only way I can describe it was like seeing someone wearing a dark coloured robe – in the form of a black mist.
“That figure has been seen by numerous people over the past few years.
“That was quite… interesting!
And it doesn’t just happen at night, you see and hear things during the day, too.
“I’ll often hear the sound of children banging around playing upstairs – when there’s absolutely no-one else in the house.
“I was also growled at in the bathroom by something that sounded pretty angry. I actually felt the breath in my ear.
“I strip washed in the kitchen for three days after that because I was too scared to go back in there.
"I also had a female visitor come to the house who got bitten on the shoulder.
“She’d felt a burning sensation and later, when she got to her sister’s house, she saw human teeth marks in her flesh. She was obviously pretty frightened.
“Others have been scratched – so many people get hurt in there.
“Then there’s a little toy piano that keeps going off in the night and scaring the pants off of me. It’s intense in there.
“There’s a 22 stone man who went in there and got picked up and thrown into a wardrobe by something weird. I’ve heard of another guy who started bleeding from the eyes for no apparent reason.
“I’d argue that the place is dangerous – I’m convinced it could end up killing someone one day.
“My mum, Iris, hates me being here. She once begged me get in the car and go home with her. But I’ve got to finish what I’ve started."
Micky, who began the venture shortly before Halloween, has rigged the house with cameras in a bid to record video evidence of the spooks said to be running amok in The Cage.
And he hopes any evidence would vindicate Vanessa’s original claims while forcing those in the village to take her take her seriously.
He said: “When Vanessa lived there, she’d see these really wild things but she couldn’t show her neighbours anything tangible. God knows how many people think she’s crazy.
“But I know she’s not a crank – I’ve seen these things myself.
“And there are others in the village who do believe. They won’t even walk past the house at night. I’ll often see them crossing the road to avoid it.”
The resident ghosts do, though, appear to have a twisted sense of humour.
Micky explains: “Three weeks ago, a lady visiting the house went to the loo…and she suddenly ran out with the knickers around her ankles, screaming, into the street.
“She’d been sat on the toilet and a cupboard door had opened and hit her in the legs.
“Most people will hear this and think, ‘This bloke is a bit bonkers’. Others might say, ‘No way can a house be that haunted’.
“But it is. And for me, it’s a fascinating place.”
Meanwhile owner Vanessa, who recently discussed the house on ITV’s This Morning, shed light on Micky’s unappealing endeavour.
She said: “It was my dream home and I loved it. It’s a beautiful little cottage, even if it’s got a prison door stuck on the side.
“It’s a little slice of English history and it’s just so pretty.
“Yes, I knew about the supposed haunting when I bought it, but it didn’t put me off. In fact, when I first went to look round the place some of the local villagers told me about the ghosts who lived there.
“But I just laughed and said, ‘Even if it is haunted, it can’t be that bad’.
“But it’s bad. It’s really bad. I found that out for myself. Which is why I’ll never live there again. I can honestly say that I was petrified all of the time.”
Speaking about a chilling incident from 2012, the one which caused her to bolt for sanctuary, she added: “I heard the sound of Jesse’s toys being turned on.
“There was no-one else up there and Jesse was tucked-up in bed. I was so scared. Sometimes you just get a feeling in there when you know something awful is about to happen.
“I went upstairs, carrying the ironing, and I saw a man at the top of the stairs, looming over Jesse’s cot.
“That was it for me. I felt like my baby was in danger. I just had to get out of there for good, even though I’ve been paying the mortgage on an empty property ever since.”
Thanks to his courage, Micky has been nominated for the title ‘Most Manly Man’ as part of a nationwide hunt by male wellbeing firm Manflu.
Jonathan Evans, founder of Manflu, says: “Micky’s got to be one of the manliest men in Britain.
"Not many of us would be able to laugh about the fact he shares his bedroom with a poltergeist!
“You wouldn’t catch me doing what Micky’s doing, that’s for sure.”
Manflu is supplying Micky with a year’s supply of its ‘Soup A Hero’ chicken soup, but anyone who thinks they've got a manlier story is being urged to contact them through Twitter @MANFLU.
Earlier this year a survey found Hollywood celebrity Tom Hardy to be the ‘Most Manly Male Celeb’, scooping 24 per cent of votes, followed in the run-down by Jason Statham, Bear Grylls, Idris Elba and Ray Winstone
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