The word “Syndrome” in the title is perhaps especially relevant here. For here, the word itself, seems to suggest a story - or a ’syndrome of events’ - that could only be seen to relate to the legendary gossip and stories relating to a ‘vampire’ said to lurk in and around London’s Highgate Cemetery back in the 1970’s.
Indeed, the book exemplifies the story of this very case. It does not actually ’lose track’ of the true story line, but goes into more personal detail about other peoples’ involvement who ‘cashed in’ on the on-going legend, and attempted to exploit it if not, for self gain, for reasons of attracting personal publicity.
The author describes in detail his own involvement with some of these people; or rather, how he became aware of such activities and how he was somehow ‘caught up’ in the situation accordingly. Or maybe more precisely, how such people ‘sought him out’ with the prime intention of ‘converting’ the relatively harmless psychic phenomenon he first reported at Highgate Cemetery in 1969, into a ‘blood-sucking vampire’.

 

"I committedneither of these offences; a fact that has even been admitted by the most vehement of my critics when writing about - or reviewing - the Highgate case.
The situation was perhaps not helped by the fact that, during this earlier period, a dedictade group of Satanists were also using Highgate Cemetary at night to conduct their bizarre rituals. However, perhaps to dwell on established history would be to digress.
My whole purpose in writing this short piece is to throw open the whole question of whether a 'curl-lipped' or 'bloody vampire' really existed at Highgate Cemetary. Many said one did. But is is possible such accounts (and there are many) were the result of unqualified press coverage which where themselves manipulated by a minority whose interests were geared to promoting to themselves, maximum publicity?
One such case that has come to be reported as 'fact' (one that is invariably ridiculed by genuine psychic investigators) involves the claims of a certain individual who actually alleges to have tracked down the Highgate Vampire and 'staked' it through its heart, later burning its remains in a garden of a derelict house in Crouch End, North London.
According to his account, (and it is a self-professed one, no other person or witnesses having ever come forward to back it up) the corpse then 'burst into flames' - although this was perhaps aided by a sudden impulse on the part of the person concerned to scatter, and ignite, a can of petrol over what he claimed were its remains.
At least, that is how the story goes..."