A council in Durham has spent taxpayers’ money on a ‘psychic’ to perform an exorcism on a home in the town:

Easington Council employed medium Suzanne Hadwin after Peterlee tenant Sabrina Fallon reported paranormal activity including moving objects.

Miss Fallon had even called police after hearing bangs which terrified her children Shannon, nine, and Amie, one.

A council spokesman said it paid half the psychic’s fee as it was the most cost-effective solution.

The council hasn’t suggested that it put’s any stock in the claims, and has attempted to distance itself from that suspicion:

Mr Burnip said: “This family was absolutely distraught and believed what was happening - that is not to say that the council believed.

“What we saw was a relatively small amount to pay for an outcome which in effect saved the taxpayer many hundreds, if not thousands of pounds.”

It should go without saying that this is utter nonsense. Some woman has got herself worked up over something (probably a few spooky noises,) and passed her fear onto her kids, and the council has paid someone to do nothing more than say “there, there, it’ll be OK” in a way she was prepared to believe.

I’d have much rather seen the council spend a little more money to educate this woman’s superstitions away, than to pander to them and, ultimately, reinforce them. This would have had the fringe benefit of the money going to someone who battles against ignorance and mysticism, rather than someone who preys on it. Remember; the data suggests that the probability of Ms Hadwin possessing actual supernatural powers is vanishingly small.