Most people think vampires are nothing more than the imagination of horror writers.

But workplace consultant Maria Paviour insists they exist in every office in the country - and is running a course in how to deal with them.

It is one of the most enduring images in more than a century of horror films.

The vampire leers above his prey with his fangs bared. Before his victim can even scream, he will already have punctured her neck and started draining her blood.

Most people think this gruesome image has no bearing on real life at all. But Maria Paviour disagrees. She has recreated the myth for the 21st Century - and she says modern vampires often find their prey in the workplace.

The workplace-management consultant believes every office has a vampire.

She teaches people to defend themselves by keeping in the light, warns them to remember to use garlic, and helps vampires to drive a stake into their own hearts in order to escape the curse.

But there is one big difference between Maria's vampire myth and the Hammer Horror image.The vampires Maria deals with don't suck blood - they suck energy.

She said: "I was looking into communication problems in organisations and particularly wondering what it was that made people feel depleted after communicating with certain people. It become apparent there was a sucking of energy going on.

"Certain people were removing energy from others and feeding on it to make themselves more powerful. There was definitely some kind of vampiric process going on."

Maria, of Hadlow Down, near Crowborough, says vampires can prey on any work relationship. She said: "You can be vampired by your boss, you can be vampired by your colleagues. You can even be vampired by your employees.

"The premise for being a vampire is that you substitute power for love."

Maria has written a book about workplace vampires called Stealing Souls, and together with other consultants in the company she set up with her partner Stuart, she is spreading the word on how to contain vampire damage.

She says once someone has been preyed on by a workplace vampire, they become infected themselves.

"Vampires are created as a result of being the victim of a vampire themselves. Once they have been a victim, whether of their parents or of their boss, they are likely to feel a vacuum where their energy has been taken and look for a way to get it back."

At first, people may not realise they have been vampired. Like in the stories, they may begin to wake up at night feeling slightly odd without really realising what has happened to them.

As the vampiric activity becomes more severe, victims start to change, but they usually don't notice: "Vampires can't see themselves in the mirror. They never recognise themselves for what they are.

"If you're a victim, you may not recognise what you see in the mirror anymore. It can affect your perception of yourself as a person."

There are also physical effects: "Vampire victims find it hard to sleep through the night - they pace around trying to work out what's wrong with them and then doze through the day.

In her book, Stealing Souls, Maria has identified the five types of vampire who stalk Britain's offices.

Type One: The bully vampire

According to Maria, this is the most obvious kind of office vampire. She said: "The bully vampire is hard-nosed, profit-orientated, and totally driven by the bottom line. The reason they are like this is because it takes them away from dealing with humans.

"You know when you've been vampired by them because they shout and scream and make you feel rotten."

Type Two: The mother figure vampire.

The mother figure vampire is much more difficult to recognise: "They appear to be nurturing but they use guilt a lot.

"There's lots of martyrdom in there and they use this strategy to manipulate you into doing what they want you to do."

Type Three: The needy vampire.

The needy vampire shares similarities with the mother figure type. People may think their relationships with needy vampires are positive, but they can actually be very draining: "This person makes you feel like you are important because they need you. But they are actually draining you."

Type Four: The Dracula-type vampire

This is the most attractive, but also the most sneaky, of the different vampire types. Usually, but not always, male, the Dracula-type vampire is charismatic and exciting: "You've got a rather dashing person, quite attractive with an awful lot of charisma.

"He appears to be interested in you, so you find yourself talking and talking to him. If he is your boss, he might say you are his ideas person, that he values your input. You get completely drawn in, but later you feel dissatisfied without really knowing why."

Type Five: The Shadow of Evil vampire

The shadow of evil vampire is the most chilling of all: "A good example would be Robert Maxwell. This is the sort of person who would do anything and everything to get up the ladder.

"They have no morals, all they are interested in is power. They might have a wonderful, caring facade, but they want power by any means necessary."

"The energy depletion and stress can have a very rapid effect. It can be reflected in your health. You may feel tired, aching and listless. You may suffer from constant colds and coughs."

But Maria has advice on how the vampire-victims can fight back. The traditional remedies are the best way of stamping out the threat: "Vampires always walk in the shadows in the legends - we interpret that as the subconscious. People are not aware they are doing it.

"If you stay in the light, stay self-aware, you should be able to avoid becoming a vampire yourself."

There will be an open workshop in Crawley on June 14 addressing the issue of vampires in the workplace.

The session will cost £375, with some discounts available. Contact Maria Paviour on 01825 830221.

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