WESTWOOD CROSS

The Thanet Times of 13th July 2004 ran a story on strange happenings at the site of the new Westwood Cross shopping centre. It appears that the ghost of a former Ambulance man has stayed around, despite the ambulance station being demolished........

 

A COLD wind sweeping across Westwood Cross has nothing to do with the weather - but a GHOST.

 

The site of the former ambulance station in Haine Road is said to be haunted by a station officer who died there.

 

Ambulance staff say they used to feel a breeze as they walked past the pool room to the toilet — even when all the windows were shut and it was the height of summer.

 

Emergency planning officer Frank Stocks said: “The staff that worked at Thanet station would say ‘we've left the friendly ghost behind'.

 

Many thought it was the old station officer, making sure we were all in place.

 

There are a lot of people who felt a presence. When we left people started to tell their tales.”

 

The station has been demolished and a Marks and Spencer store will be built on the site.

 

Developer James Ager said: “I have had lots of experience of wind at Westwood Cross.

 

“It is a very windy place and there is no doubt that with the ambulance station being knocked down there's a lot more wind going through there.

 

“But whether that's a ghost— I'm not sure!”

 

The station officer died more than 10 years ago.

 

He complained of chest pains and staff told him to have sit down and rest. When they found him he had died of a heart attack.