Were the so-called Brummy Vampire attacks of the early 2000s the result of urban legends and mass hysteria rather than actual supernatural events? RICK HALE takes a look
Imagine if you can, it’s a cold, dark moonless night on the streets of old Birmingham.
A lone woman walking, wraps her coat closely around her in the hopes it will protect her from the icy wind that threatened to chill her to the bone.
As she turns a corner, she becomes uncomfortably aware that something with sinister intent is watching her every move from the shadows.
Suddenly, and without warning, a tall, gaunt figure steps up behind her, and before she can scream a clammy, lifeless hand seizes her throat.
The demonic creature then sinks its long teeth into her supple flesh and then darkness embraces her.
If you think this sounds like some kind of Gothic, late night horror film. Or something from the distant past, you would be forgiven.
This scene that played out was neither, and allegedly occurred on the streets of one of England’s largest cities, Birmingham.
According to the citizens of this very modern city, a bloodthirsty creature of the night was on the loose.
However, there is one problem. Despite all the rumours and even eyewitness testimony to the contrary, it may not have happened at all.
It may have been nothing more than mass hysteria brought on by a mixture of old world fears mixed generously with the modern internet age.
The Attacks Begin
Dark stories of a vampire stalking Brummy streets began in the Ward End area in December 2004. And it played out in a similar fashion to the opening.
Anyway, a lone man was taking a late night stroll, when the unthinkable occurred.
Out of nowhere, a tall, lanky man leapt out of the shadows and sank his teeth into the man’s shoulder.
The victims managed to fight the terrifying figure off and called for help. When others came to his aid, the lunatic turned his rage on them and violently lashed out injuring a few of the good Samaritans.
Thankfully, they managed to fight him off and the man escaped with an almost unnatural haste into the night. Unfortunately, this wanton act of violence did not end there.
A Terrified City
As the nights went on, more attacks occurred in the Saltley, Small Heath and Alum Rock areas of Birmingham.
One woman in Satley reported a very similar looking man who attacked the first victim, jumped her and bit a generous hunk of flesh from her hand.
The West Midlands police were suddenly swamped with calls from terrified citizens who claimed to have either been attacked or caught a glimpse of the undead creature of the night.
Others reported they made the egregious mistake of answering their doors, only to be assaulted by a being that according to science absolutely is not supposed to exist.
And what did the police do to assuage the fears of those that depended on them for safety? It’s quite simple really, deny everything and hope it goes away.
Police and Media To The Rescue
Urban Legends can be extraordinarily powerful, especially in the age of the internet.
Within moments a story, regardless of how outrageous it is, can be told and travel around the world in a flash.
And this was the case, well, as far as the police and The Birmingham Mail was concerned.
The rumours of a vampire stalking the streets of Birmingham was nothing more than a creepy urban legend.
The police and Media went further by saying, not a single person with bite marks like those reported checked in to local hospitals.
Now, you might think this would put this real life horror movie to rest. Not hardly.
Citizens Come Forward
In response to what the cops and reporters had to say, several citizens came forward to report an encounter with a clearly mad individual who acted like a rabid animal, attempting to bite people.
One woman claimed she was safe because of the large number of crucifixes that adorned the walls of her home.
If anyone could hold a satanic vampire off, it would be a crucifix wielding soldier of the Lord. And then just as mysteriously as the attacks began, they came to an end.
So, what are we to make of this bizarre and frightening story?
Was it truly a creature of the night looking for a hot, salty liquid meal from mere mortals?
Or, maybe it was a lunatic living out a blood fetish and refused to believe, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” as Bauhaus suggested.
Which brings us to option three: it was all bullocks created in an internet chatroom and spread around Birmingham for mere shits and giggles.
I wish I could say. But if I was you, and you find yourself walking the nighttime landscape of Birmingham, you might want to make your journey short lived.
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