A ghost hunter who grew up feeling the presence of a young boy called “Billy” and hearing footsteps stomping on the stairs has dedicated his spare time to tracking spirits in people’s homes.

Sean Brady is visiting people who have noticed strange happenings in their properties to find out “what the spirits want”.

The 31-year-old says he can provide people with answers if they feel they’re sharing their home with another being and hopefully put their minds at rest.

Sean was just five years old when he first felt the presence of a young boy at his home in Rural Vale, Northfleet.

He would also hear footsteps stomping on the stairs when no one was there and saw “dark, shadowy figures around the stairs and going towards the bathroom”.

The ghost hunter also said there was a corner of his bedroom which had a “strange feeling” he couldn’t put his finger on, but he didn’t like.

At the same time, Sean, who lived in the house until he was 10 years old, said he could also sense an extra presence at his nan’s house in Swanscombe Street, Swanscombe, where he would also hear footsteps.

After these early brushes with the so-called spirit world, Sean set up an investigation team and in recent years spends his spare time visiting properties, which the owner’s feel are haunted, and tries to communicate with spirits.

“I get a big buzz out of a spirit wanting to communicate,” he said. “I get a lot out of finding out what a spirit wants to say, if they are happy and why they want to communicate.”

He says he recently visited a house in Northfleet where the occupants said the energy felt “really dense” and they were getting a lot of bad luck.

Sean and his team of five fellow ghost hunters brought along their range of equipment to try to find out what was happening.

The team offer their services for free and will turn up with a collection of expert equipment including electromagnetic energy trackers, a hand-held voice recorder which picks up any communication, a camera with a sensor which locates figures and cat ball toys which are sensitive to anything which brushes past them and will light up if a presence touches them.

“My friend Chrissy, who is a medium, was picking up a female spirit and two children. The owner wanted the property cleansed to get rid of them.”

But Sean explained this is not always the best option and he thinks sometimes it is possible to live alongside them.

He added: “If they are not causing you any physical or emotional harm it’s not always the best thing to do.”

The property had been empty a few years, he explained, and had proved difficult to sell.

When the owner had bought it she had had a lot of work done on it – something Sean says the spirit wanted him to tell the woman.

But, it’s not always a friendly encounter for Sean, with one home in Ramsgate being home to an angry spirit who talked about it being a slaughter house and listing his victims.

“I was last,” Sean said. “He used to bang on the floorboards and your feet would actually move it was so violent.”

Sean said he and his team had to use a chant to remove him.

Born in Gravesham Community Hospital, in Bath Street, Gravesend, Sean says he is keen to visit the now-derelict building to find out if there are any ghostly presences roaming the empty wards.

He would also like to return to his childhood homes in an attempt to find out who “Billy” was.

“I know he was a little boy but it’s really bugging me because I have never been back to the house to try to communicate with him,” he said.

After reaching out to find the owners of his old childhood homes on social media, residents of other haunted Northfleet properties have come forward.

Gemma Shearing, who lived in St James Avenue, remembers door handles moving on their own and the washing machine turning itself on.

She added: “My mum’s earrings would be played with while she was wearing them and her bedding would get lifted up.”

She even remembered a terrifying moment when she and her sister got locked in their bedroom.

“We were locked in our bedroom,” she said. “ But the door didn’t have a lock on it.”

Another time, when she was home alone, she spotted a shadowy face at a window.

“I heard a noise and looked up at my stairs and there was a black shadow standing there,” she remembered.

“I ran out my front door, looked up at my window and there looking at me was a black face.”

Gemma, who was 12 at the time, said they only lived there for eight months before moving out.

Claire Clouder lived opposite Sean’s childhood home in Rural Vale and knew the residents of his old house.

“I lived there for seven year and knew the people who lived opposite quite well,” she said.

She said although they never mentioned any unexplained happenings, they did admit to not liking the back bedroom.

“They explained it as always being cold and damp and said the kids wouldn't sleep in there.”

Anyone who would like to call on Sean’s team can contact him via text on 07568 977718 or search for Thanet Paranormal Association on social media.

If you think your home is haunted and want to tell us your stories contact kgreenwood@thekmgroup.co.uk.