“Some people are sensitive to spirits, and sometimes I get a feeling like I’m being watched or shouldn’t be there when I’m exploring different places.”
Daniel Outlaw, 42, started his ghost-hunting channel ‘Doncaster ghost hunter and exploration’ alongside his friend, as a ‘way to pass the time when there was nothing else to do’ during the pandemic.
Mr Outlaw said: “I’ve been fascinated with the paranormal since I was about eight years old.
“I’ve always constantly read books and watched documentaries about anything paranormal, and that goes for anything- including UFOs.”
Doncaster has a long history of paranormal energy, dating right back to Roman times.
One example Mr Outlaw gave was the Hatfield Colliery tunnel, where a young girl was reportedly hit by a train.
He said: “It was a young gypsy girl that used to walk down the train line and through the tunnel to sell little trinkets to people, and she got hit by a train and died there. Now a lot of people have reported seeing this little girl there.”
Mr Outlaw’s YouTube channel now has over 4.1 thousand subscribers, who watch him explore abandoned areas across South Yorkshire.
“You don’t really need anything when ghost hunting, but if you want to capture evidence, then you’re going to need a camera.
“Main thing you’re going to need is a decent torch or two. I take a couple, normally.”
He also uses equipment like spirit boxes and REM pods, which help detect paranormal activity by interacting with energy fields and white noise.
“The biggest misconception is that people think they’re always going to see a ghost, but you could live in a very haunted house your whole life and only ever see the ghost once.”
One of Outlaw’s scariest encounters happened behind Doncaster College in the town centre, at an old pumping station, where a sudden feeling of oppression made him leave quickly.
He recalls that things started to feel ‘different’ once he started asking questions.
Mr Outlaw stressed the importance of safety, and leaving a haunted area if you get the feeling you are not welcome.
“When we do it, I always do a recce—I’ll go in the daylight and check if it’s safe.
“Just have fun with it, yeah, but always be respectful of the spirits and the places you visit.”