A DRACULA scholar who grew up in Latchford has lifted the lid on his latest findings on Bram Stoker’s work.

Author Andy Struthers has revealed how he uncovered telling signs of the future in Stoker’s Dracula is a Codex – an encoded retelling of the events of 1888. 

He said: “As incredible as it sounds, Dracula was written as an encoded critique of Jack the Ripper’s time in Stoker’s Victorian London – it is the fifth Codex.

“Everything which transpired in the autumn of 1888 was actually ‘reflected’ within the famous novel Dracula.

“Stoker cleverly tells us that only four murders were attributed to this infamous killer, at least on this spree.

“Incredibly, he goes so far as to reveal the culprits of the remaining two murders which were enfolded in these shocking events too. 

“This incredible find answers all our questions regarding the mysterious murders in the anguished autumn of 1888 and so much more. 

“We get to meet the real inspiration for Stoker’s world-famous vampire, but more than this, after trying to solve the Ripper riddle for the past 130 years, we finally become conclusively aware of who it was that was behind this heinous spate of murders.”

More details have been published in Andy’s latest work Dracula Incarnate; Unearthing the Definitive Dracula, which is a revised edition.

The book is on sale now on Amazon.