A paranormal TV show in the UK which received complaints of deceiving the public was given the all-clear by a television watchdog.

The regulatory body, Ofcom, took the view that, “The show contains a high degree of showmanship that puts it beyond what we believe to be a generally accepted understanding of what comprises a legitimate investigation. On balance we consider that overall Most Haunted/Most Haunted Live should be taken to be a programme produced for entertainment purposes.”

The Scotsman newspaper reported: “Makers of the cult supernatural show Most Haunted were in high spirits last night after being cleared of allegations that they duped viewers. Several people complained that the Living TV show, featuring psychic Derek Acorah, had deceived viewers when it claimed to have uncovered paranormal activity.”

The show visits allegedly haunted places to try to commune with the spirits of the dead. “Sudden nocturnal bangings, camera work similar to horror film The Blair Witch Project and heavy use of green night filters are trademarks of the format.”

Most Haunted, now in its sixth series, has routinely attracted audiences of one million per show - an impressive feat for a digital TV channel. Its stunts have included attempts to get inside the mind of Jack the Ripper and stalking the footsteps of ghosts said to linger at Tower Bridge in London. The Most Haunted format has been sold to the United States and further spin-offs involving the undead are in the pipeline. Coming up next year is Derek Acorah’s Top Ten Possessions, in which the Virgin Radio DJ Christian O’Connell examines the psychic’s best “possessed moments”.

The question remains though, if official bodies, such as Ofcom, don’t take the paranormal seriously, where does that leave serious psychic research, especially on television?