A historian will give a Halloween night public talk focused on the Devil's link with sexual desire.

Darren Oldridge, the University of Worcester's professor of early modern history, will deliver his presentation at The Hive on the day itself, Thursday, October 31 at 7pm.

He said: "Halloween is a good time to think about evil spirits.

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"This year I want to reflect on their relationship with human sexual desire.

"The Devil has long been associated with dangerous sexual passions, and in this talk, I’ll explore the history of this complicated relationship.

"I’ll show how the prince of darkness has been imagined as ‘the spirit of lust’ – yet at the same time the punisher of sexual transgressions."

Mr Oldridge said the talk will primarily focus on 16th and 17th-century history and will explore the torments of fornicators in hell.

He will also discuss the supposed excesses of the witches’ ‘Sabbath’, where witches, believed to be the Devil’s servants, were thought to indulge in shocking sexual acts.

He said: "While I’ll be talking about old ideas, some of them may strike chords today.

"We may not believe in the Devil in the same way, but we sometimes see sexual impulses in a similar fashion.

"Intense desire can feel a bit like demonic possession."

Places for the talk must be booked to attend (https://www.thehiveworcester.org/whats-on.html).