Ruth Suter and Chiara Pollock
15:23, 11 May 2026
The family had endured two days of bizarre occurrences before moving out of the property following police advice.
Police on a call-out to a disturbance in Rutherglen were left shaken to their core after witnessing paranormal activity taking place inside a property they were dispatched to.
It was like any other shift for the Police Scotland officers before the evening took a chilling turn on August 8, 2016. After being called to the aid of a mother and son, they witnessed clothes flying from across a room and lights flickering on and off.
And when the lights went back on, the officers reported seeing lampshades hanging upside down and oven doors opening and closing. Even a chihuahua dog which had been playing in the garden at the time was then discovered sitting on top of a seven-foot hedge.
The family who were living at the property had called the police in a panic. Prior to this, they had endured two days of bizarre occurrences before moving out of the property following police advice.
The Daily Record told how the hair-raising ordeal had been discussed at high levels within the police force, with senior officers perplexed over how to handle the incidents.
In 2016, a source told the Record: “These were incidents that were witnessed by our own officers. Incidents that are not easily explained. One problem we’ve got is where we go from here as no crime has been established, so what else can we do but deal with any reports of disturbances.
“But officers with more than 20 years’ service are saying they’ve never seen anything like this. It really is something that down-to-earth police officers are having trouble getting their heads round. How do you handle what, despite us liking to use the word, has been described as a poltergeist.”
The family at the centre of the ordeal are devoutly Catholic, with police seeking assistance from the church. A priest was sent to the property on Stonelaw Road and performed what has been described as a ‘ blessing ’ for the house.
The occupant of the home, a woman, alongside her teenager, called in cops after they began experiencing the disturbing incidents. They were described as being extremely distressed as they had been experiencing violent and unexplained circumstances.
In absolute desperation, they contacted police.
The source continued: “The officers attended expecting it to be a mental health issue but they witnessed the lights going off, clothes flying across the room and the dog sitting on top of the hedge. The officers called their superiors who also attended thinking the cops were perhaps being a bit silly but it’s being taken very seriously.
“The fact it was witnessed by our officers has lent itself to a very different but active inquiry.”
No-one was harmed, though the family were given safety advice by baffled officers and chose to leave the house. It is understood they moved in with relatives.
The source said: “The main concern is with the family’s welfare and well-being but with no crime committed and no culprit we are at a loss how to proceed with it. Inquiries are ongoing but it’s difficult to know where to go with it.”
It's understood officers went on to look into the family’s background before working with doctors and social services to provide support. It's also thought they investigated the history of the property, to see if there been any reports of similar occurrences from previous residents.
Our source said all options were being considered by way of explaining the goings-on: “Is it some form of hoax, or is it real or not real? These are the questions being asked by officers but without coming to any conclusion.
A statement from Police Scotland read at the time: “On 8 and 9 August police attended a house in Rutherglen to reports of a disturbance. No evidence of criminality was found and advice and guidance was given to the family.”
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