A ghost hunter claims to have filmed a mysterious "alien-like" figure during a seance at Shepton Mallet Prison – one of Britain's oldest and most haunted jails.

Tony Ferguson, who regularly visits so-called haunted locations across the UK, returned to the Somerset prison with a group of sceptics and believers to carry out a paranormal investigation. The group held a seance in the prison chapel, where Ferguson says the atmosphere quickly turned heavy.

"We felt an energy shift," he said. "Everyone has always said it doesn't feel nice in there – and this time was no different."

Ferguson said things took a bizarre turn while he and another investigator stood on the balcony. "It felt like the calm before the storm," he said. Footage later shared to social media shows a strange figure appearing to move across the bottom of the screen.

The figure appeared on camera at the prison (Image: TikTok/Tony Ferguson Ghost Hunter)

But rather than a ghost, many viewers said the figure looked more extraterrestrial.

"Adam Clark, who was leading the seance, said he felt like he'd been electrocuted and dropped to the floor," Ferguson added. "Many people messaged me in shock, saying what we captured looked more like a Grey Alien than a ghost."

The figure, which appears halfway through the clip, is described as having a small, thin body, a large round head, and wide dark eyes. A loud screech is also heard.

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"As an investigator I'm on the fence," Ferguson said. "Some think it's a child, others say alien. All we know is it appears out of nowhere and walks off making that noise."

Shepton Mallet Prison dates back to 1625 and has a long history of reported hauntings. After housing men, women and children for centuries – including during its time under military control in World War Two – it closed for good in 2013. The site now operates as a tourist attraction with escape rooms and ghost tours.