Haunted doll scratches new owner in new home

A haunted doll that was flogged on eBay after it left its former owners terrified and covered in scratches has struck again – inflicting more scratches on its new owner's dad.

Mum-of-one Debbie Merrick's creepy doll appeared on ITV's This Morning last month after she revealed its spooky antics, which included setting off fire alarms and removing its own necklace.

Lee Steer, from South Yorkshire in the UK, has since bagged the coveted creepy item for a whopping $1,400 after a tense international bidding war between paranormal enthusiasts.

But just two days after the doll arrived at the 30-year-old paranormal investigator's home, where he lives with his parents Paul and Amy Steer, it struck again.

Lee's dad Paul, 54, discovered unusual tiny scratches on his right arm – mimicking injuries apparently inflicted on Debbie's hubby's leg that were thought to be the same size as a doll's hand.

"My dad was downstairs in the morning, at this point the doll was still packed away, and he heard like a tapping noise on wood. He said it was a bit unusual,” Lee said.

"Later that day he was watching the repeat of one of our live streams with the doll. I was doing a live stream upstairs in my room

"Then he said to my mum, 'My arm's hurting.' He lifted up his sleeve and he had six scratches on his arm.

"My mum shouted to me, 'Lee, you best get downstairs - your dad's getting affected. He's got scratches on him.

"It seems pretty similar to the scratches on Debbie's husband from what I can tell. We have no idea where they came from.

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"My dad's a believer. He's said he's not happy with it being in the house."

And this isn't the only odd experience Lee claims to have had since bringing the doll into his home, with more strange noises, flickering lights, and broken artefacts all noted.

“We were putting stuff away that weekend before it arrived and started talking about it, and all of a sudden a picture I have in my wall called 'The Crying Boy' started swinging on its own,” Lee said.

"We've gone months without anything unusual happening and as soon as this doll is mentioned things start happening.

"I have another picture propped up on the floor. In the dark I could hear this sound, and when I put the light on and looked, the picture frame had completely dismantled itself.

"We did a live stream opening of the doll that 35,000 people watched, and a light I use was flickering, it was like a strobe. It was the first time that had ever happened. And people contacted me saying they could see the doll's eyes moving.

"I've used a random words app that some people believe spirits can manipulate, and when I've asked it it's name it's said 'Samantha.'

"When I said I really wanted to p*ss it off, it said, 'Strike Lee'. If it's random words then it shouldn't be making sense."

But sceptical Lee says he is embracing it all, with the doll even residing next to his bed alongside other objects in his 'Haunted Objects Museum'.

After clubbing together with his fellow Ghosts of Britain paranormal investigators to invest in what he claims is 'the most expensive haunted item ever bought on eBay,' Lee says he is ready for the doll to put his nerves to the test.

Lee said: "People say I've got a death wish. I need to see something to believe it. I don't believe in ghosts as such but I do believe in paranormal activity. I want to experience the ultimate.

"I've been losing my faith recently, nothing's happened for months, but then this doll came along. This is the first time I've seen this kind of activity in 15 years.”

Lee even believes he could have found a connection to suggest the doll has an innate hatred of married men - an explanation for the attacks on his dad and former owner Debbie's husband Cameron.

"We've done some research and found out it's from America, and that kind of doll was given to newly married couples,” he said.

"It's difficult to prove, but we have heard from one woman who claims she had sold the doll on, and that it had come from a house of a woman who had owned a thousand of these dolls.

"We can't find any record of that yet, and we don't know if it is one of the dolls, but it could explain why it doesn't like married men.

"We're planning to test it out on married couples - we've already had volunteers."

-Reporting by Caters News

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