MEDIUM David Taylor claims he first started encountering supernatural experiences when he was just seven years old.

But it was not until 2001 that he decided to attend classes at Bolton Spiritualist Church after a spirit voice told him to do so, he says.

But his perception of mediumship changed one year later when he lost his father Ian Maclean, aged 63, to prostate cancer, and his new found empathy and compassion for grievers became his inspiration when carrying out readings.

Mr Taylor, aged 44, said: “I lost my dad in 2002 so I can see it from both sides.

"I have empathy for people that want to connect with their loved ones. Losing my dad gave me a better understanding of the grief process.

“My dad often pops in to see me. When I see him I smile. At first I was in floods of tears with total shock, but now it is a real comfort to have him with me.”

The father-of-three, who lives in Breightmet, says his supernatural experiences began when he was a child.

He said: “Looking back at my life I had experiences as a child, like sensing things that I had no prior knowledge about, but it was when I got older that I realised that it was something more.

“In 2001 I was watching a medium on TV and thought I would like to have a go at doing that. Then a voice came from nowhere and told me that I should. So I went to a spiritualist church and I have never looked back.”

Mr Taylor says that being a former sceptic helps him to understand those who do not believe in what he does.

He said: “Some of the best readings I have done have been with sceptics. Once I was at a public reading and there was a man standing with his arms folded and I could tell he didn’t believe any of it.

"But I started giving him information about his mum such as her name and that he still kept her jewellery in his drawer. After the show he came up and shook my hand and said ‘thank you’.

“I do group sessions, one-to-ones and evenings of clairvoyance, which can get quite busy with the amount of people trying to link in — especially if there are 200 in the audience. But over time I have learned to tune in and speak to one person at a time.

“I used to say, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ And now I do.”

  • An Evening of Clairvoyance with David Taylor is on Friday, May 30 at Ramsbottom Civic Hall. Tickets are £12.50 and doors open at 7:30pm.