Exorcism performed at Derbyshire house

Burning of sage during the exorcism triggered a smoke alarm.

Firefighters were called to reports of a smoke alarm going off at a house in Kirkstone Court, Long Eaton, at around midday on Monday.

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Crews said when they arrived, they met a man dressed in a ‘religious outfit’ who claimed an exorcism had been carried out to get rid of ‘an unwanted presence’.

Referring to their call-out, a spokesperson for Stapleford fire station said: “This was a false alarm caused by smoke from an exorcism.

“Sage had been lit and triggered the smoke detection system.”

The burning of sage and other herbs is often used as a way of cleansing an environment of perceived negative energy.

A report by the Christian think-tank Theos in 2017 said that exorcisms were on the rise in the UK.

If you’d like to know what happens during an exorcism, visit www.catholic.org

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