One in five Brits believe a work colleague may have put a CURSE on them, according to new research

A nationwide study into our beliefs and fears around the supernatural has revealed almost two thirds of Brits believe there is magic around us, while as many as 29 percent think vampires are real.

According to the study, as many as 45 percent said it’s highly likely that witches, vampires and demons are secretly living and working alongside us in everyday life.

And more than four in ten UK adults are convinced they have met someone who possesses magical powers, while more than one in ten (11 percent) of those quizzed said they had thought about – or had tried to put a love spell on someone.

While 13 percent of the 1,500 polled admitted that had tried to “curse” someone and give them bad luck, while a further 20 percent think a work colleague is casting spells on them.

According to the poll, commissioned by Sky One to launch its new original drama, A Discovery of Witches, 44 percent of us avidly read and believe our horoscopes, despite 43 percent describing them as a form of magic and not an exact science.

By far the most popular magical power Brits would like to possess is time travel, with 44 percent of adults wishing they could travel back to the past and forward to the future.

And 11 percent would want to have telekinesis – the power to move objects with their mind – the same number said they would love to have the opportunity to control the elements, such as fire, wind and water.

And exactly half of those polled said they have found a fictional vampire such as Edward Cullen from Twilight or Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to be extremely attractive.