More people are contacting the Church of England for help from deliverance ministers, with requests for exorcisms rising since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Representatives of the Church explained that most requests are for spiritual reassurance rather than dramatic, Hollywood-style exorcisms. Many people seek help to put their “minds at rest” after experiences that make them feel anxious or unsettled.

Dr Anne Richards, national officer for the Church’s deliverance ministry, said: “The number of inquiries they receive is rising. It’s fair to say there is an uptick in requests for help. But it’s not to do with a spirit being cast out of a person. It’s a whole range.”

Dr Richards added that lockdown led some people to hear “funny things in their houses,” which were usually harmless.

The recent reports from Priscilla Bacon Lodge, near Colman Hospital in Norwich, illustrate the rising demand.

Staff at the hospice, previously Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital, reported seeing ghosts including a “small child in a red dress.” Emails to the Diocese of Norwich in 2023 requested “advice/support from the deliverance team” and “some holy oil” to carry out a religious service for staff and patients concerned about spirits.

The hospice confirmed that a blessing of the building was carried out, though no exorcist visited in person.

Deliverance ministry in the Church of England, commonly known as exorcism, is usually quiet and focused on providing reassurance for people experiencing fear or distress rather than performing dramatic rituals.