Whitby Dracula celebration: 'Vampires' invited to world record attempt

Dracula author Bram Stoker was inspired by the gothic architecture of Whitby Abbey

Hundreds of "vampires" have been invited to descend on North Yorkshire in May in a bid to set a new record.

Whitby Abbey staff hope to organise the world's largest gathering of people dressed as vampires to mark 125 years since Dracula's first publication.

The abbey features in Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel and Dracula's first victim is in Whitby.

The previous record stands at 1,039 people dressed as vampires at Doswell, Virginia, in the US in 2011.

Mark Williamson, from Whitby Abbey, said the challenge, due to take place on 26 May, was an "exciting one".

"We look forward to welcoming would-be vampires to Whitby Abbey for a fun evening of entertainment - and hopefully a successful new record too," he said.

Hundreds of Dracula fans descend on Whitby every year, with many visitors to the North Yorkshire seaside town asking where Dracula's grave is located, forgetting he is a fictional character.

The house where Bram Stoker stayed, and where much of the book was researched, still stands and a plaque marks his time there.

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