Get In The Exorcist! Ghost of Dead Roman Soldier Seen Near Brand New Hospital's Morgue!

Inside the shiny new hospital, a tormented soul stalks the wards and corridors.

Yet this is no ill patient, overworked junior doctor or beleaguered NHS trust executive. 
It is a ghost – or so says a leaked memo from a manager. 

Several workers at the £334million Royal Hospital in Derby have apparently been scared witless by the apparition, which they describe as a man dressed in black and wearing a cloak, who can walk through walls.

Such sightings are not unusual in Derby, which is known as the ghost capital of England, so the matter is being treated with a degree of gravitas.

The memo, written to colleagues by senior manager Debbie Butler, said: ‘I’m not sure how many of you are aware that some members of staff have reported seeing a ghost.

‘I’m taking it seriously as the last thing I want is staff feeling uneasy at work.’

She added: ‘I don’t want to scare anyone any more than necessary, but felt it was best I made you all aware of the situation and what we are doing about it.

‘I’ve spoken to the Trust’s chaplain and she is going to arrange for someone from the cathedral to exorcise the department.’

Yesterday, the talk among workers arriving for their afternoon shifts was that the spirit, if there is one, had emerged from the hospital's Level O - the mortuary.

One, a cleaner who asked not to be named, said: ‘My husband phoned me up as I was on my way in and told me not to go and not to be frightened. He’d just heard about it on the radio.

‘But it hasn’t put me off. In fact, I’d quite like to see a ghost. Perhaps it could help out when we’re understaffed.’

Some believe the visitor is the ghost of a Roman soldier. The site used to be occupied by Derby’s City General Hospital, which was controversially built over one of Ancient Britain’s main Roman roads.

Ian Wilce, co-founder of the Ghost-finder Paranormal Society, said: ‘Generally, spirits we see are those of people who have died suddenly or who frequent a place where they enjoyed being.

‘Wherever this one came from, it doesn’t sound like an evil spirit – if it was, it would be wreaking havoc and throwing things around.  

‘It sounds more like a spirit that has been laying dormant and been disturbed by the building development.’ 

Mr Wilce added: ‘Many sightings can traced back to logical explanations, such as shadows, or psychological factors – if people think there may be something there, they are more likely to imagine they have seen something.’

Benedictine monk Dom Anthony Sutch agreed that the spirit did not sound like a demon, and therefore exorcism was not necessary. The hospital’s PR department said there was ‘absolutely no truth’ in reports that an exorcism will be arranged.  

Derby won its title of most haunted in the Supernatural Britain Report by Lionel Fanthorpe, an expert on the paranormal.

Mr Fanthorpe found there had been 315 reported ghosts, poltergeists, werewolves and vampires in Derby throughout history.