A STYLISH and sexy re-working of the classic horror story Dracula is being shown on television this Christmas and if you look a little closer you might notice it was filmed just down the road from Worcester.

The BBC adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel was filmed at Eastnor Castle, near Ledbury, during the summer.

Scenes were filmed in the Gothic drawing room, the long library and around the main entrance to the castle over eight days in August, when the Victorian pile was taken over by a 40-strong television crew.

It's not the first time that Eastnor has provided the backdrop for TV dramas. It doubled as Gatherham Castle for BBC2's The Pallisers and was also used for an adaptation of Little Lord Fauntleroy.

"It was very exciting to have Dracula filming here," said general manager Simon Foster.

"There was considerable disruption to our day visitor operation while the film crew were here, but people generally enjoyed seeing the filming and the production team were very considerate. We are all very much looking forward to seeing it."

Actor Marc Warren (Hustle, Doctor Who and Hogfather) plays the maleficent Count Dracula and David Suchet (Poirot) plays vampire scholar and Dracula's nemesis, Abraham Van Helsing.

Julie Gardner, one of the executive producers, said: "Stewart Harcourt's adaptation is a visceral, sexy and bold re-telling of Bram Stoker's classic."

Dracula is on Thursday, December 28, on BBC1 at 9pm.