DERBY ghost hunter Richard Felix will tonight host a new four-part TV series about one of the most gruesome and horrific periods of British and European history.
Inquisition, which will be on the Yesterday channel at 9pm, promises to "shed new light" on a time when "everyone was a suspected heretic, from religious and faith groups, witches, fanatics and psychopaths."
Filmed over the past year, Mr Felix said it would include a number of stories from Derby and Derbyshire including how witches were burned at the stake in the city.
He said: "The Inquisitions swept like a plague across medieval Europe, with thousands of innocent people arrested, tried and executed for heresy.
"This is an extraordinary story of nearly 500 years of bigotry, fear, persecution, torture and death.
"The institution of the Inquisition allowed the Roman Catholic Church and political movements to exercise control and gain wealth over powerless people across Europe from the 12th century. The inquisitors were the eyes and the ears of society and they were everywhere."
Mr Felix said part of the series was filmed at Derby Gaol in Agard Street, which he owns.
He said: "The show was tremendous fun to make, with some grisly and gruesome stories discussed.
"Torture was synonymous with the Inquisitions, and was used liberally to extract confessions, guilty or not, and often the victims would simply die of the pain trauma and blood loss.
"Methods include hanging by the wrists, with weights suspended from the ankles, the rack, water boarding, removing finger or toes nails, hot coals, castration and beatings.
