Security Officer Rob's Ghostly Intruder
On the 11th of June 2024, the paranormal youtuber and researcher 'Don't Scare Claire' sent me the images of some texts she had recieved, along with a quoted email, of an experience which had been shared with her. The original texts and email were shared to Claire by 'security officer Rob'; a man who worked as a security officer at the Alton Towers resort roughly ten years ago. He worked there between 2011 and 2015 and had to work the night shift every eight weeks. Rob has also shared that these were the worst shifts he ever had to do. It's important to note at this point that the log flume Rob discusses was located where the Wickerman rollercoaster now stands. I also believe the courtyard he mentions may be the courtyard which is in Mutiny Bay.
In this article I have typed up the texts and email, while also trying my best to tidy up the spelling and grammar to provide for an easier reading experience. I have kept what was written as close as I could to the original messages, and you can see the original texts plus a screenshot of the quoted email at the end of this article. This way, accurate documentation of how the experiences were originally disclosed can also be kept.
Rob's Texted Experiences
'My own experience is patrolling the park at night. We had to patrol the whole park every hour at checkpoints on our own in a vehicle. Where the log flume is, the queue sits directly at the back of the gardens where apparently the grounds staff used to live. On returning to my vehicle from the courtyard, I saw a figure of a short man dressed in scruffy clothes in the log flume queue stood staring directly at me. As I ran to my van and started to drive off, the figure disappeared. This was around 2am and I never went back out again that night for any further patrols.
Another occasion was when I was night fishing the old boat lake. We were allowed to fish the grounds out of guest hours. This was with a friend. The lake sits directly infront of the main castle. We could hear screams coming from that area, and footsteps close by our bivvy fishing tents. None of us dared to look, and just froze, and soon as first light hit we left. Not the best of moments, I still get goosebumps when I tell the story to my kids. The old garden keeper's living quarters used to be located behind where the ride was built apparently. There have been stories of other staff; when checking an activated fire alarm in the chapel to come from the top floor, then chairs appeared in the middle of the room that wasn't there when they went in. Things have been thrown at guests in the queue for HEX during daytime hours. Also, others stated they have seen a monk-like figure walking across the main road from where the chained oak tree is located heading towards the castle. It's a different world from when the daytime running of the park is going on to when the place is in pitch black darkness powered down.'
Rob's Emailed Experiences
'Around 10 years ago, I worked as a security officer at the Alton towers resort. I've never been one to believe in the unknown or so called ghosts or spirits; I always thought it was just stories made up just to try and scare people. Well, one night I was working a night shift to cover one of the night staff and I had eaten my words. Never did I think that night I would of been proven so wrong. It was one night around winter time, I was patrolling the grounds in a vehicle; it was around 2am from what I can remember. I was doing my usual duties, checking the premises and working my way around the park. It's a different world around the park at night, because it's in pitch black darkness, so it's a bit spook in some areas. Anyway, on this night I was walking around the courtyard area: this is near where the log flume is. As I was heading back to my vehicle on foot, I was shining my torch just scoping out the area working my way back, and as I was walking towards the vehicle shining my torch I caught a glimpse of a figure.
As I shined the light back, I could see the figure of a shortish male with a bald head stood there looking directly towards me wearing like an old rugish style coat. This immediately sent me cold, made one of my eyes tear, and made my arm's hairs stand on end. I was stunned and yet I've got this figure looking directly at me, but I've also got to move towards it to get to my vehicle. The torch went off and I run to the van as quick as I could, straight through the passenger side door, and got off the park as quickly as I could. I did not know what I was seeing, or why, but there was no way I was going back near the area again that night. I got back to the control room where my colleague looked at me and asked what was up. I told him what I had encountered, and he told me the old grounds keepers staff used to be housed close to where I saw this male; and he always feels he's been watched in that area.'
Summary Of Hauntings
1. Apparition: short man, bald, scruffy clothes, rugish style coat - 2am, courtyard near flume
2. Screams - towards towers from lake
3. Footsteps
4. Chair moved untouched - towers
5. Activated fire alarm - chapel
6. Items thrown at guests - HEX
7. Monk-like apparition - main road near chained oak tree
8. Feelings of being watched
My Thoughts
I find the experiences Rob has shared to be very interesting for a couple of reasons which revolve around the Wickerman ride. Usually when there is discussion around Alton towers being haunted, the talk revolves around the chained oak or the tower ruins; so it's incredibly interesting to me that Rob's focus is actually around where the log flume used to be, which is the site of the Wickerman rollercoaster. If you walk along the path which leads around the back of this ride, you can still see remnants of the log flume amongst the trees; so the log flume may have been further back than the Wickerman, but not by that much.
I have only ever heard one person discuss hauntings occuring around the Wickerman ride, and this was someone I worked with who used to work at the Alton Towers resort, I believe as ride staff. They shared with me that the Wickerman gift shop was haunted, albeit seemingly by a female potentially linking to the passing of an employee. Regardless, having another staff member comment on this general area of the park being haunted is interesting and I feel adds legitimacy to what he has shared. If these experiences were fabricated to gain publicity, then it would be easier to have stuck with the commonly shared locations such as the tree, Hex, and the towers.
One thing that is odd to me is that this bald man Rob saw may have been a legitimate intruder, and Rob didn't approach him. I assume that as a security officer, it was Rob's role to have confronted the man in such a scenario. Instead, Rob describes becoming fearful upon seeing the man and then fleeing. If it was an intruder, I assume it would have been easy to make it seem like he vanished given it was so dark that Rob needed his torch. When the torch turned off, it could have just run out of battery, especially it was a cold night as batteries drain quicker in the cold.
Another strange detail Rob discusses is what the man was wearing. Rob describes scruffy clothes and an old ruggish style coat. This sounds modern to me. It isn't your typical victorian style description. This not only leans towards the man being a possible intruder, but it also leans towards the legitimacy of what Rob has shared. I absolutely believe that Rob experienced what he has shared, although I do also suspect this man was likely just an intruder who was trying not to get caught.
Now, as for a potential spiritual explanation for what Rob saw; I think, if the man was a spirit, that it's definitely a more modern haunting. This would make sense too given my theory on energy wells. The Alton Towers resort has many visitors while open, and plenty of energy is exerted here by people. I feel this is enough for whoever visits to leave some energy behind in the form of a well, or pool, which they can access after they die. They can then use this energy to replenish their spirit and possibly use it to interact with the physical world. I feel, if a spirit, then this is the explanation on why there would be modern hauntings here. It's likely the same case with the Wickerman gift shop.
The only thing about this particular experience Rob has shared which makes me question if it was an intruder is the effect it had on Rob. He doesn't describe it as fearful. He says he ran, and that it made the hairs on his arms stand up, but he doesn't use the words fear, afraid, or scared. My interpretation of what he has described is a moment of shock and of being unsettled, as though he couldn't quite interpret what he was seeing but he knew it wasn't quite right. I could be wrong with that interpretation, but I feel that lines up with his description.
Whenever I've had a strong paranormal experience, this is what I've felt, and I feel it's what a genuine paranormal experience will enduce in people rather than fear. It's a hard thing to describe as it's a feeling which occurs so little. I believe this is what Rob is describing, and so I can't help but question my own rational thoughts of it being nothing more than a case of Rob spotting an intruder. As a result, I definitely believe Rob is describing everything exactly as he remembers it happening.
As for the other details Rob has shared, it all lines up with other experiences I've heard and with previous research I've done on the location. The screams are an outlier though, and I would put those down to wildlife. The poltergeist activity within the towers, chapel, and Hex are likely legitimate though. The monk near the chained oak is fascinating. I have heard the tree is haunted, however I don't presently recall having heard that this is by a monk. Usually the connection is to the woman that cursed the Earl. Regardless, the information Rob has shared really adds to the haunted profile the Alton Towers resort seems to have.
Thank You!
Thank you for reading to the end of this article, and again a huge thank you goes to Don't Scare Claire for being alright with me writing this article and for providing the texts and email discussed! If you want to watch her videos, you can click the link below:
I found the experiences Rob shared to be really fascinating, and I really enjoyed discussing them and giving my own speculation around them. It's always great when someone shares so much information on a paranormal experience they've had; especially when it's occured at a location which I know so well. If you have any experiences of your own which you'd like to share, then please don't hesitate to contact me!
A special thank you goes to Damain, Nicolette, Kerry, GD, Chris Willcx, Nicola Jada, Nita Raveling-Hamilton, David Lee Jones, theinoculator, 1141520851813892291920, Jacks-and-graves, The Cornish Ghost Whisperers, Beardo Gets Scared, Starlight Phoenix Paranormal, Paranormal Penny Pinchers, the Australian Paranormal Society, Codegas Codex of Curiousity, Phantom Detectives LLC, Shadow Walkers Paranormal Investigators, South Of Spooky, Don't Scare Claire, blogparanormalexpresso2stuff, Paranormal Connections, Phantom Seekers Paranormal, chatibelieveinghosts, and Purbeck Paranormal Investigators for your continued support of The True Paranormal. If you want to be thanked in an article, or in the monthly appreciation post I make across social media, then please share my articles and tag 'The True Paranormal'. If I see that you've shared, then I will publicly thank you!
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Rob's Original Texts And Passed On Email
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