it was a case that held the nation spellbound almost 40 years ago, puzzling policemen, psychics and even occult experts now, a three part drama series will recreate the strange goings on at a london council house where a family were terrified by a demonic spirit janet hodgson, who was 11 at the time, was convinced she was possessed by a former resident of the house in green street, enfield, a grumpy old man called bill wilkins who had died there many years before a three part drama on sky living called the enfield haunting will recreate the strange goings on at a house  timothy spall, who plays investigator maurice grossel, comforts eleanor worthington cox, who plays janet hodgson, the 11 year old girl who was convinced she was possessed by a former resident of the house  the council house (on the right side of this semi detached) in green street, enfield, was said to be haunted  speaking through her, an eerie voice   which can still be heard on audio tapes today   said: 'just before i died, i went blind and then i had a hemorrhage and i fell asleep and i died in the chair in the corner downstairs' the case of the enfield poltergeist also involved levitation, furniture being moved through the air, and flying objects swirling towards witnesses there were cold breezes, physical assaults, graffiti, water appearing on the floor, and even claims of matches spontaneously bursting into flame the events   which began in august 1977   unfolded for more than a year behind the door of the ordinary looking semi detached council house the family became so scared they slept in the same room, with the light on most of the activity centred on 11 year old janet she went into violent trances, which were awful to behold on one occasion, the iron fireplace in her bedroom was ripped from the wall by unseen forces family members also claim to have seen her levitating   floating across the room she said: 'i felt used by a force that nobody understands i really don't like to think about it too much i'm not sure the poltergeist was truly 'evil' it was almost as if it wanted to be part of our family 'it didn't want to hurt us it had died there and wanted to be at rest the only way it could communicate was through me and my sister 'it was an extraordinary case it's one of the most recognised cases of paranormal activity in the world but, for me, it was quite daunting 'i think it really left its mark, the activities, the newspaper attention, the different people in and out of the house it wasn't a normal childhood' most of the activity centred on 11 year old janet hodgson, who was apparently seen floating across the room  the disturbing events which included moving furniture unfolded for more than a year behind the door of the ordinary looking semi detached council house on a suburban street  some of the events were captured on camera, and the images are disturbing one shows janet apparently being thrown across the room  in the sky living drama series called the enfield haunting, janet is played by eleanor worthington cox, 13, the youngest recipient of the laurence olivier award for her portrayed of matilda wormwood in matilda the musical in one scene cox shudders at the top of the stairs after being terrified by the spirit timothy spall, who played the role of winston churchill in king's speech and peter taylor in the damned united, plays investigator maurice grossel, while juliet stevenson plays his wife betty spall said: 'i am very pleased to be taking part in the enfield haunting it is a brilliant script which is full of emotional texture and develops beautifully into a human story' the house is currently occupied by another family, who do not wish to be identified the mother says simply: 'i've got children, they don't know about it i don't want to scare them' the ghostly story of the infamous case will be recreated by the all star cast to be screened this spring on sky  cynics cast doubts on the events saying it was a hoax two spr experts caught the children bending spoons themselves, and questioned why no one was allowed in the same room as janet when she was using her gruff voice, apparently that of bill wilkins at the time it provoked a national debate and 37 years later, the spooky tale will become the subject of debate once more
enfield janet hodgson
enfield poltergeist gained national news coverage in the late 1970s . janet hodgson, 11, convinced she was possessed by a former resident . the family became so scared they slept in the same room, with the light on . three part drama series   the enfield haunting   will be shown this spring 