It is being claimed James Bond author Ian Fleming played a role in the prosecution of a Scottish woman jailed for witchcraft. Helen Duncan was put in prison during the second world war after giving out accurate military information during her seances.

It is now being suggested that Fleming helped frame her because he was concerned she could be a spy.

Edinburgh pensioner Mary Martin is no longer shocked when her grandmother's story takes another extraordinary twist as there have been so many mysterious developments over the years.

She was just ten when her gran Helen Duncan became the last person in the UK to be jailed for witchcraft. Now there is a suggestion that James Bond author Ian Fleming, who was involved in the intelligence services at the time, helped have Helen prosecuted because he though her clairvoyant sessions were a threat to national security.

She said: "I can understand the country being in a state about information and worrying about real spies but a housewife? This country was in the middle of a war that we didn't look like winning yet they spent a whole week on a trial for my grandmother."

When HMS Barham was blown up during the war the government slapped on a news blackout and the families of those onboard did not know their loved ones had died. But then Helen Duncan started to apprently contact the dead sailors in seances its claimed this images shows her surrounded by ectoplasm. It seemed she knew too much and was prosecuted for witchcraft.

There is a paranormal festival on in Edinburgh at the moment and modern clairvoyants say Helen Duncan has been much maligned. Clairvoyant Audrey Yeardley said: "Helen Duncan
certainly made some silly moves with ectoplasm etc but she was the real article. She brought so much comfort to people. there was the scandal but I think she worked from the heart."

Helen Duncan's family are still campaigning to have her officially pardoned and people certainly seem to be intrigued by her story. The website bearing her name already has received more than 42 million hits. Whether there is life after death cannot be proven, but there is definetly plenty of interest in Helen Duncan half a century after her demise.

The article above was found on Google and was published originally on stv.tv