A FAMILY today hit back at claims they performed an exorcism in their house.

Neighbours had called police after hearing screams coming from the home in Whitewell Place, Blackburn.

The neighbours claimed the family had told them they had become possessed by a spirit and said a priest had been hired to beat them in a bizarre exorcism.

But today the Shi'ite Muslim family, who refused to be named and asked for their new location to be kept a secret, said they had been the victims of a hate campaign to drive them out because of their religion.

A 25-year-old woman, who said she was acting as the family spokesperson, said: "Everything that has been said about us is nonsense. Our religion involves us beating our chests, it's called Matham.

"We normally do it in a mosque but we decided to do it in our home because we wanted to do it as a family together.

"There were about 20 of us and we were at the house for five days. We performed this in sessions, sometimes late at night and maybe that's why the neighbours heard screams. We were simply practising our religion. "Talk of priests and spirits is nonsense. We have been persecuted by the whole community because we are a minority religion."

She said the family moved on to another house to carry out the same "commemoration".

She denied reports by neighbours that they believed the house was possessed and that was why they had thrown furniture out. But she said the family would not be moving back to Whitewell Place.

She added: "The family has decided not to go back because we all want to live in a bigger house together.

"We put the furniture out to make more room for ourselves.

"This is our faith and we have done nothing wrong."

Sgt Tom Maudsley, of Blackburn Police Ethnic Liaison Department, said: "The incident is being put down to an internal family matter."

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