A “cursed” painting at a popular tourist attraction has become “part of the team” despite it continuing to haunt staff and visitors.
The infamous “haunted” painting of a little girl went viral after it was pictured for sale in the window of a charity shop in Hastings, East Sussex with a warning, reading: “She’s back!!! Sold twice and returned twice! Are you brave enough?”
The portrait’s previous owner Zoe Elliott-Brown claimed she was chased by a “black figure” after purchasing it for £25. She was so spooked she ended up selling it to James Kislingbury, 45, who runs the London Bridge Experience in central London, on eBay for £1,680.
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(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
James put the painting up in the reception of the tourist attraction – which takes guests on a walkthrough tour of the capital’s history.
And he he claims has regularly encounters the supernatural since the painting came into his possession – including being surrounded by shadows while alone just last week.
He said: “I went in the stairwell to get a bit of peace and quiet to take a phone call. I was alone, there was no one else in there, but suddenly there were all these shadows just dancing around me.”
(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
He added: “Staff members have been followed by dark shadowy figures, some of them hear footsteps following them when there’s no one there – others have felt hands on their shoulders.
“Often they will see the shadow of a child who plays games with them – like hide and seek, and when they go to investigate there is no child there.”
These strange experiences began just after James bought the painting in September 2023. Even when he collected the haunted artwork there were warning signs. He said: “When I went to collect it from the seller in Hastings it was all wrapped up in brown paper but her dog would not stop barking at it.
(Image: Ferrari Press Agency)
“On the drive home from hers my car broke down. I then went away on holiday and I dislocated my shoulder.
“When I took it to work I put it in a storage room and just a handful of the staff knew it was there, but when I got back everyone was reporting paranormal experiences.
“Shadows, footsteps, that sort of thing.”
He also claimed there had been a couple of floods on site since the portrait was put up.
(Image: Ferrari Press Agency)
James, added: “It’s amazing because it’s like every time someone looks at it they see something new.
“One group came in and a lady pointed out that the girl in the painting has a greasy cross on her forehead – none of us have spotted that before.
“Others have seen water droplets coming from it that couldn’t have come from anywhere else.”
Not much is known about the past of the painting – but it is believed it was donated by an elderly man to a charity shop in Hastings, East Sussex.
(Image: Ferrari Press Agency)
Before the The London Bridge Experience took it into their care it had three previous owners – who all sent it back due to hauntings.
James said: “We have had a few people trying to investigate its history but no one so far has been able to figure it out. Whatever happens I think it is here to stay – it has become part of the team.”