IF you're experiencing something strange in your neighbourhood, who you going to call?

You could try Joseph and June Dormer.

The pair, of Atlas Road, Darwen, have set up an investigative ghost-busting group which they have called the Darwen Delvers, to investigate reports of abnormal phenomena in East Lancashire.

They will hold meetings at their house every week and are arranging for displays of equipment, including a Milligauss meter which measures magnetic forces and will measure temperature fluctuations in haunted houses.

The couple run a herbs and spices stall on Darwen's three-day market and decided to set up the Delvers after experiencing ghostly going on at their former home in Blackpool.

Joseph said: "The things that we have seen are unexplainable, which is why we have set up the group to help shed some light on what has been happening."

The 53-year-olds were paranormal sceptics until a set of spooky phenomenons started to take place in front of them.

The first was in 1992 when Joseph was on his way to bed. He felt a dripping sensation on his arm but dismissed it at first.

When it happened again, Joseph got the ladders to search for cracks or dampness on the ceiling.

He could not find any and the dripping on his arm continued for a number of days afterwards in different parts of the house.

Joseph, a graduate with a philosophy degree, said: "Both June and I felt the dripping on our arms, it was a really weird experience for us both.

"We couldn't say that we weren't scared because we were but we were more interested in finding a rational explanation."

The dripping continued but the final straw for the couple came when they were entertaining friends one evening and all of a sudden found themselves drenched with water -- with no holes in the ceiling or water marks on the roof.

They also claim objects would whizz across their room .

Joseph said: "When this started to happen we realised it was more than coincidental experiences.

"We would have been in the kitchen and then all of a sudden a fork would jet off to the other end of the room. This happened all the time with anything metal including keys and tweezers.

"We had something incredible goings on in the house and we wanted to learn about it."

Anybody who is interested in becoming a Delver should contact Joseph or June on 01254 701772 or by email on

joseph.dormer@virgin.net