They have been portrayed as a sinister secret society, wielding power behind the scenes across politics, business and, in particular, the police.

But now the Freemasons claim they are the ones suffering discrimination and lack of influence. To debunk the myths surrounding the society, they have announced they will be running a series of open evenings to prove it is not a secret society.

Chief executive Dr David Staples of The United Grand Lodge of England said: "I appreciate that you may have questions about who we are and what we do, so why not ask those who know?," he said.

While the Freemasons are somewhat shrouded in mystery, we do know some things about them. Here is what we know about the society so far.

When was the Freemasons society founded?

According to Nigel Brown, who stepped down as Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge in 2016, the group was formed in 1717.

A group of like-minded men apparently got together in a coffee house and devised a non-sectarian, socially egalitarian forum in which men of integrity could fraternise, while avoiding the vexed issues of religion and politics.

They took as their guiding metaphor the trade of stonemasonry, hence the symbols of Freemasonry – the square, compass and apron – and its three degrees of evolution, Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason.