Hundreds of goths are set to descend on a seaside town this weekend as a popular culture festival returns to North Yorkshire.

The Whitby Goth Weekend takes place from Friday to Sunday (October 27-29) and will see the town filled with visitors wearing dark period dress.

This is the year’s second instalment of the bi-annual festival.

The last weekender took place in April when attendees were seen walking the town’s cobbled lanes and seafront promenade, which featured in Bram Stoker's gothic masterpiece Dracula.

Goths were also seen relaxing in their signature getups in the town’s cafes and pubs, where the author sourced ideas for his his iconic book.

Stoker visited the harbour town in 1890 and viewed the ruined monasteries and graveyards as the perfect setting to feature his blood-sucking vampire.

The event was founded by Jo Hampshire in 1994, when she invited 40 of her pen pals to The Elsinore Inn, close to the centre of the idyllic town.

Now, it attracts guests from all over as a celebration of gothic culture.

The festival will incorporate the Bizarre Bazaar Alternative Market which features over 100 indoor stalls.