AN ATTRACTION which promises to give guests the scare of their lives has opened a brand new terrifying experience.

Hide and Shriek, which is based in the Victoria Shopping Centre, in Southend, has been scaring even the bravest of visitors for just over a year but founders George Bejko-Cowlbeck and Scott Rose believe their new attraction the Seance is their most frightening yet.

George, 27, from Southend, said: “We do different scare events several times a year and the Seance is our new attraction for the summer.

“We have built a replica 1920s family home inside our unit at the shopping centre; it’s pretty impressive and really sets the scene.

“It’s even got a front garden with a washing line, there are wind machines and things to make it more real, too.

“It’s a really sensory experience; we have different scents there so when you are in the garden you can smell freshly cut grass and when you are in the house it smells mouldy and damp and horrible and really sets the scene.

“There is 360 degree sound as well so it sounds like things are moving around behind you - everything is rigged to make you question what is real and what isn’t.

“We have really gone to a lot of effort to replicate everything.

“There are a lot of shows on television like Most Haunted where they do seances and things and all you really hear is a noise or something like that, but this is very involved.

“This is for people who really want to experience what it might be like.

“It blurs the boundary between reality and the paranormal.”

The attraction has had good feedback from the brave souls who tested it before opening.

George said: “Everyone who has gone in has come out believing that it might actually be real, even if they went in as a sceptic.

“It’s been really good so far.”

George added that he believed the attraction is better than other “pop-up” scare events as it is all-year round.

He said: “We are not just in this to made a quick buck, this is our livelihood - there’s an art to it really.

“We put a lot of effort into making it authentic.

“The set quality is incredible - they are like movie sets.

“It also brings in a little bit of the tales of Southend paranormal activity and history, which is nice.”

Hide and Shriek, which also has a zombie escape attraction starting in September, has been recognised by Europe’s biggest trade show for the scare attraction industry - ScareCon’s SCAR awards.

They have been nominated for best original concept and design, best escape room, best out of season attraction and best attraction producer at the next ScareCon SCAR awards. The winners of the SCAR awards will be announced at Alton Towers on June 23.