Scary witches and more at Mansfield's most haunted house - and it is all for charity

Lee Buckley set himself the challenge of creating a haunted house at his home on Vale Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, to raise funds for John Eastwood Hospice which looked after his mum, Sandra, before she passed away.

Lee, who owns SPL Window Cleaning Services, started making decorations including an animated witch in January – learning how to make most of it on the spot.

The 29-year-old dad-of-three who will be dressed as a warlock when the haunted house is open, a costume he made himself, said: “I can’t wait for people to come and see it, it has been a year of planning and I am now seeing it all put together.

“I learnt on the job and through tutorials online. At one point I couldn’t sleep so I was up making a witch, which has seven layers of paper-mache, at three in the morning.

“My wife Rebekah has had to put up with stuff in the dining room for months.

“I have practically done the work on my own but Rebekah had been helping me – she made potion bottles.

“My littlest one Cody helped paint – but it got in his hair.”

Lee was also helped by his daughter Jaidie-Leigh, aged 11 and son Riley, aged four.

He also said he had some teething issues when it came to some of the decorations, including getting expanding foam everywhere, paper-mache that would not set and a broken light - but has still managed to decorate the garden.

He said: “It is my first time fund-raising, obviously people have seen me build stuff and I kept getting asked if I was doing for charity and I thought why not.”

Lee’s mum Sandra died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease more than three years ago aged 64.

He said: “They did a lot for my mum before she died – it is not even just their end of life stuff it is the stuff they do before.”

The display will be open till November 3 from 5,30pm to 10pm.

Entrance will be free but donations can be made.