This photo was taken by a local resident of the town, Tony O'Rahilly, as the nearly 100 year old building burned to the ground. No one recalls having seen anyone standing in that place during the fire.

Mr. O'Rahilly gave the photo to the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena which, in turn, presented it for analysis to Dr. Vernon Harrison, a photographic expert and former president of the Royal Photographic Society. Mr. Harrison cocluded that the photo was not tampered with or manipulated and appeared to be genuine.

This is not the first big fire in Wem. There was a devastating fire in 1677, which leveled most of the town, since at that time most of the homes were constructed of wood. Legend has it that the horrible fire of 1677 was started accidentally by a serving girl named Jane Chum, who had been careless with a candle and set the thatched roof of her home on fire. Many people of the town have reported seeing her ghost in the years since 1677, and many residents believe this phot taken in 1995 to be her.