Who Put Bella In The Wych-Elm?: Documentary on Hagley Hall mystery to be screened in Stourbridge

The premiere of the film will be shown at Stourbridge Town Hall.

A film-maker launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the film, which includes facts and previously unseen photographs. The documentary, by Jayne Harris, probes the mysterious circumstances behind the death of a young girl – Bella – whose skeleton was found in a hollow tree on Lord Cobham’s Hagley Hall Estate in 1943.

A severed hand was found in an adjoining field. And the riddle sparked graffiti bearing the message ‘who put Bella down the Wych Elm’ to begin appearing on walls in the area.

But the mystery of who Bella was ­— let alone who was responsible for her death ­— has continued to confound both police and amateur sleuths for decades.

Ms Harris says she spent nearly three years ‘researching, filming, producing and editing the self-funded documentary’.

She said: “We think we’ve found some new information.

“We’ve tried to balance out all the different theories – the witch theory, espionage and a few other ones. There’s a bit of evidence for everything really.

“I grew up in Stourbridge and have always seen the graffiti. I didn’t know much about the story, but when I started researching it I was fascinated.”

Four-hundred people have bought tickets for the premiere – with its popularity leaving Ms Harris ‘surprised’.

She said: “We will be showing a series of police photographs, witness statements and forensic reports not widely available, combined with re-enactments, narration and interviews to bring these accounts to life.

“We’ve interviewed various experts who have given us a fascinating insight into the realities of a war-time murder investigation and helped us delve deeper into the world of witchcraft and its secretive practises.

“In this film we aim to present viewers with an intriguing and thought-provoking experience, culminating in the exploration of the more supernatural elements to the story, in which we speak to local eye witnesses about their terrifying experiences with what they believe to be the ghost of ‘Bella’.”

The sold-out premiere takes place at Stourbridge Town Hall tonight, starting at 8pm.