The Enfield Poltergeist: Inspiration behind Apple TV series and true story of Enfield haunting revealed

The Enfield Haunting has captivated the minds of people since it made headlines in the late 1970s. A simple semi-detached home in Enfield, London, was reportedly the scene of a horrible haunting that plagued the Hodgson family for 18 months.

Apple TV has now released the latest reimagination of the story which delves into claims of a poltergeist terrorising a London family from 1977 to 1979. The haunting has been the subject of numerous investigations from a BBC Radio show in 1978, a 2015 Sky TV series and it was even the inspiration for the sequel to The Conjuring in 2016.

So what really is the true story behind the Enfield Poltergeist, was there really a haunting in Enfield and what happened to Janet? Here's everything you need to know about this spooky story.

What is The Enfield Poltergeist about?

The official Apple TV synopsis reads: "Experience the chilling true story of the world’s most famous poltergeist case through original audio recordings made inside the house as the events unfolded."

Is it based on a true story?

The Enfield Poltergeist is based on the alleged Enfield Haunting that took place over the course of 18 months from summer 1977 to 1979.The incident occurred at 284 Green Street, an Enfield council house, and involved the Hodgson family, with their daughters Margaret and Janet first claiming to spot the entity.

What was the Enfield Haunting?

The Enfield Haunting saw the Hodgson family allege that a poltergeist was plaguing their home. In August 1977, Peggy, the mother, called the Met Police to report seeing furniture moving across the room and that two of her four children had heard loud knocking noises. A police officer who visited the scene said they witnessed a chair wobbling, but “could not determine the cause of the movement”.

More bizarre events would continue to occur with more than 30 people alleging to have seen items moving across the room and disturbingly the youngest daughter Janet talking with the voice of an old man who she claimed had died at the property. Paranormal investigators Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, from the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), were called to investigate and even Ed and Lorraine Warren, the infamous American demonologists turned up on the scene.

Former Daily Mirror journalist Doug Bence and photographer Graham Morris attended the house, capturing photos of the children. Bence was convinced by the claims the home was haunted. In an interview with the Mirror the now 83-year-old explained: "Lego bricks were flying around, and Graham was hit with one."

He continued: "It’s hard to say how many but it was quite a short period of about a minute. The young boy was playing in it. The two girls were screaming and crying. The mother was in a state. Vic Nottingham was doing his best. There is no question that they had engineered it in any way."

The haunting dramatically stopped as soon as it had started in 1979. The cause was never established, however many people believed it was hoax and that the two girls were playing a prank.

What happened to Janet?

Janet Hodgson was at the epicentre of the hauntings, she was just 11-years-old when the incidents first occurred and appeared to be the child who was most affected. Several months into the haunting she began to speak in an old mans voice, claiming to be Bill Wilkins, a former tenant who had died at the house. Janet features in the Apple TV documentary, in it she explains: "I know what I experienced. I know it was real". Adding: "It follows you. It has never left me."