Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Viral Video Lures Ghost Seekers to Austrailia Park (video)

THE truth is out there - teenagers are more frightening than ghosts. 

Stonyfell residents in South Australia are being spooked by hordes of young thrill-seekers determined to find paranormal activity in a local park.

Rumours that the ghost of Clifton Manor owner Dr Michael Schneider, is wandering nearby Michael Perry Reserve - also known as Schneider's Alley - have gone viral on internet forums.

The number of children causing a ruckus after dark in the hope of meeting the eerie figure has skyrocketed since a YouTube video was uploaded six months ago.

A resident who did not want to be named said that people screaming in the reserve after dark were frightening local children.


Paranormal field investigator Alison Oborn has been investigating ghost tales for 23 years.
"Schneider's Alley is basically an urban myth," she said, adding that "it started with a whole load of stories", including the one about Dr Schneider killing children.

"I'm not surprised the residents are very upset.

"You put a haunted tag on something like that and what happens is you get kids and thrill-seekers who want a bit of fun and when they don't get that fun, there starts to be damage and bad behaviour.

"I think that is what happens down Schneider's Alley.

"The rumours have been going for years."

Ms Oborn has researched Dr Schneider's life from when he lived at the Waratah Way address between 1934 and died around 1970.

"He was a lovely man who was community minded," Ms Oborn said. "There are no records of any murders or mysterious deaths on the estate."

She warned that the historical Uley Baptist Church cemetery in Uleybury had been given the "haunted tag" and was subsequently vandalised. Residents have approached the Burnside Council with concerns of skylarking teens.

Burnside councillor Graham Bills said residents did not want the park closed.

However, he warned the council would be looking into ways that it could make the park less attractive to people in the dead of night.

"We don't want to go locking off parks," he said.

"But if it becomes a situation where peace and comfort is compromised, then I think we need to do something about it."

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