A Suffolk ghost hunter has given insights into his group's work ahead of a Halloween investigation they are conducting in Ipswich.

Suffolk Sprit Hunters are investigating reports of paranormal events at The Old Customs House on Ipswich Waterfront.

Bury St Edmunds based Steve Rawling from Suffolk Spirit Hunters said that there had been reports of chains rattling in the cells where prisoners were once kept.

He said: "They've got some cells where they used to keep the unruly, I guess. They used to store contraband there. It's alleged that people have been down there, and they've heard the chains in the cells rattle and move."

Mr Rawling said that he developed an interest in the paranormal in his youth growing up in what he believes was a haunted house. 

Emma from Suffolk Spirit Hunters who was involved in the Pettiward Hall investigation. Emma White from Suffolk Spirit Hunters who was involved in the Pettiward Hall investigation. (Image: Suffolk Spirit Hunters) He said: "I come from Wisbech in Cambridgeshire originally and I'm quite confident the house that I grew up in was haunted.

"This was kind of backed up by my sister's boyfriend, now her husband, who had a 20p piece thrown at him and my brother-in-law said he was pushed all the way through the dining room.

"The house was built next to a park where cholera victims were buried it was built on land that was used as a morgue for these victims.

"Me and my partner had been on numerous different investigation events with different companies and then we just decided to do our own thing."

Becky from Suffolk Spirit Hunters who recently conducted an investigation at Rendlesham Forest. Becky Atkin from Suffolk Spirit Hunters who recently conducted an investigation at Rendlesham Forest. (Image: Suffolk Spirit Hunters) According to Mr Rawling paranormal investigations are usually far less dramatic than what is shown on well-known paranormal television programmes.

He said: "There is no financial gain for us, we do it because we are interested in it and kind of the reason, we do it is because what you see on tv isn't real. You'll go into a building in the dark and you'll sit there for ages. It can actually be quite tedious.

"It's not like the screaming and shouting you'll see on tv. It's never like that. We don't do it for the drama we do it for the evidence."

Although he says that what the group do isn't dangerous when investigating Pettiward Hall in Great Finborough he was told to **** off by a ghost.

He added: "When we try to communicate with spirits, we always try to be respectful. Some of the voices we have picked up on voice recordings have sworn ad that's not scary as such, but it takes you back."

Mr Rawling admits that the group has yet to pick up a "full apparition" which he describes as the "holy grail" although they have seen "the odd shadow".

Most of the evidence they have gathered is what is known as Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) sounds recorded on electronic recording equipment. 

He said: "My personal view is that when you play the voice recordings back you pick up the white noise and my theory is that EVPs communicate at that frequency."

Sceptics according to Mr Rawling are healthy because they force the group to justify their belief in the paranormal.

He said: "Sceptics are good because they kind of keep you on your toes to try to prove to them. As long as it's a good conversation and it's constructive and nice then we haven't got any problems."

The investigation will be streamed from 9pm and 1am live on YouTube.