Friday March 27,2009
Mark Reynolds

In a move branded a disgrace and "hocus-pocus", mediums Paul and Deborah Rees were awarded the sum to teach people how to contact "the other side".

The couple won funding for their psychic school at Bridgend, South Wales, as part of the Government’s Want2Work job creation scheme.

Opponents angrily rounded on the decision, denouncing it as an insult to the thousands of people currently losing their jobs.

And the Welsh Assembly government yesterday launched an investigation into the grant to the couple by the Department of Work and Pensions employment scheme.

Self-styled mediums Mr Rees, 40, and his 37-year-old wife defended public funding for their Accolade Academy of Psychic and Mediumistic Studies.

"People who feel their tax money has been wasted should remember that if they’d lost a child they would go to a medium to get peace that their loved one has passed safely and is in a better place," Mr Rees said.

"People deserve all the respect in the world in their grieving and deserve a medium who can give them respect."

"Our job is to provide substantial evidence to bring ease to people’s grieving "“ and that’s what I would say to people who query the mere ‚ £4,500."

The couple run the academy from their home and say the cash will be spent on printing, advertising and website costs.

They charge ‚ £65 for sessions "designed to bring greater understanding of your awareness by using a process to develop your mediumship."

Conservative Welsh Assembly member Jonathan Morgan said: "It is an utter disgrace that taxpayers’ money is being wasted."

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