Removal of ‘satanic’ Ouija boards from NI Poundland stores welcomed

The £1 items, known as Spirit Boards, were part of Poundland’s Halloween range and invited players to pose questions to the dead.

But many people took to social media to voice their concern about the sale of the products, claiming they could ‘destroy people’s lives’.

A spokesperson for Poundland yesterday confirmed the Spirit Boards had been on sale at four of its 33 stores in the province, but added: “We had a message from the spirits to make the handful that were left vanish.”

Free Presbyterian minister Rev David McIlveen welcomed the removal of the boards, which are used to summon up spirits.

“The young person doesn’t control the board, the board controls them and that is frightening in every sense of the word.

“I think they are an introduction to a world that is very satanic and takes control of a person’s mind, and once the mind is taken control of then it takes control of actions as well. That is something that I fear is a great challenge to parents and to young people, especially at a time when there are many psychological issues confronting people at the moment, like Covid-19.”

DUP MP Gregory Campbell, who has previously called for the sale of Ouija boards to be regulated, added: “Any responsible retailer has an obligation to look at the product they have for sale, especially if they believe young people might see something that would be attractive to them and could possibly be used to bring upon them an influence to dabble in other material that would be unsafe for them.

“I’m glad they (Poundland) did withdraw them after complaints, but it’s a lesson for retailers to examine the product they put on their shelves before they have actually made it for sale.”

Carla Rainey, Paranormal Investigators Northern Ireland, said: “Although they may look harmless to someone who doesn’t know anything about the paranormal, these boards can open up the spiritual realm and allow a dark passage of malevolent spirits to come forward, this in effect can cause serious mental issues if not dealt with promptly.

“Children may find them a novelty and may think it would be cool to try it out this Halloween, but parents need to be warned of the dangers involved.”