A mum didn’t seem too fazed about stories to the ‘UK’s most haunted doll” – and even purchased it on eBay.
With its blonde locks, striped shirt and baby-like face, ‘Norman’ may look like an ordinary child’s doll on the surface. But believers in the paranormal say it’s actually a very malevolent toy.
It first hit headlines when previous owner Christian Hawksworth claimed he had been struck with bad luck ever since he purchased the £3 item from an antiques fair.
He reported an exploding appendix, being shot, his car brakes failing and his salary severely reduced – all of which he blamed on the cherub-like doll.
Deciding it was time to part ways with the figure, he listed it on eBay for £200. It intrigued Candice Collins, who is a paranormal hunter and haunted doll collector.
She decided to purchase the doll, despite the spooky details attached to it. And apparently, pain has been inflicted on her family ever since.
The 42-year-old, from Cornwall, said: “As soon as I opened the box, the room went freezing cold and a heavy depression filled the air. I knew then there was definitely something attached to this doll.
“It didn’t feel right from the beginning to keep him in the house, so I put him in a glass box with some holy water.
“Since then, I’ve worked with Norman a few times, but that same feeling comes washing over me. It fills my bones with dread.”
Candice even claims to have caught the doll, called Norman, speaking with her three-year-old son. She continued: “In the night, I can hear my little boy talking to someone. He also starts laughing, which is very strange.
“I’ve had nightmares, which can be troublesome. I wake up in a panic because I’m drowning or being attacked by an unseen figure.
“I’ve even felt my hand being bitten while dreaming. I sensed something making sounds in our bathroom and heard an evil voice calling my name in my sleep. It all felt so real.”
Candice says living with Norman has made some of her pre-existing health problems worsen too. She said: “I have arthritis, headaches and also random bruises that come up on my body for no reason.
“I’ve got a scratch on my back that looks like deep claw marks, too. My partner, Nick, needs a hip replacement, as that has taken a turn for the worse. It just feels like never ending bad luck. I don’t know if it’s a result of this demonic doll.”
She doesn’t plan on selling the toy on, though. Instead, she hopes to keep any evil spirits at bay by using DIY methods.
Candice added: “I really do think he’s the most possessed doll in the UK – maybe the world. To be able to inflict such pain and accidents as he has done really makes you wonder how far he will go.
“I do all of what is needed to protect [my family]. I use sage, crystals, holy water – anything I can. I want to prove that there is life after death, and that not all objects are evil, some just need help. But I’ve got to keep my wits about me, as I don’t know what could happen next.”