A FORSAKEN church and graveyard, death row and Doctor Death’s operating theatre are among the frights for the return of ‘Evans Haunted House’.

Actor Craig Davies runs the escape room Lockdown Escape at Evans House in Norman Street but goes all out at Halloween to transform it into a scare attraction by using his contacts in the industry.

The former William Beamont High and Bridgewater High student works alongside lead make-up artist Gill Johnson, who worked at Farmageddon for eight years and was involved in a promotion for The Walking Dead’s 100th episode, to make his scare actors as authentic as possible. Craig has also teamed up with Warrington and Vale College to have more of an emphasis on props this year.

So carpentry and joinery students have busy working on the likes of coffins, guillotines, stocks and crosses for the attraction’s ‘church’.

Once you escape the church and graveyard, you will have to avoid a dark fate in death row’s execution chamber before facing Doctor Death and the padded cells of the insane asylum in the hospital.

Craig, of Kerridge Drive, said: “This year it’s bigger and better. We’ve opened up some new rooms.

“We’ve now got a new attraction which is a church you start in. We wanted to make the experience a bit longer and we’ve got more actors this year.

“We had about 30 actors last time and this year we’ve got 46. Every year we’ll change it. Most scare attractions are the same every year but we have different characters and a different theme so people can come back for something new.”

Evans Haunted House runs from October 26 to 31 and you start in a ‘safe zone’ which is the Quasar reception area where customers can book in, buy hot and cold food and drink, play arcade games and prepare themselves for the terror ahead.

The experience finishes in the ‘aftermath area’ downstairs in the 147 Snooker Club where you can calm your nerves with a beer.

Craig added: “People will be walking through rooms, mazes and castles and trying to avoid the infected, ghosts and the killer clown which lay awaiting.

“Half of the experience is a walkthrough scare attraction but the other half is like an escape room experience with a twist as you will be trapped in rooms trying to solve puzzle and find clues to escape your worst nightmares.”

Craig, who has appeared on the likes of Peaky Blinders and The City and The City, told Weekend that the experience has quite an impact on visitors.

He said: “Last year every group that went through screamed. We had quite a lot of people crying and there were a few that had to leave part way through because they were getting hysterical.

“Last year we had a clown with a chainsaw half way through and him chasing you down a corridor was enough for some people.

“Halloween in general is getting bigger in the UK. It’s massive in America and the UK is catching up.

“There was nothing like this when I was growing up but people are now looking for something to do at Halloween the same way they are when it’s Bonfire Night.

“There’s a few big ones like Scare Kingdom in Blackburn and The Passage of Terror in Blackpool.

“But when I see people come in and then start crying I just think: ‘Why would you put yourself through that?’ I think it’s the adrenalin rush. People just like being scared. It’s like when you watch a horror film – but to almost feel like you’re in one takes it to another level.

“Obviously, zombies are very popular at the moment with The Walking Dead and stuff like that. People want to be chased by one to get that rush...”

Evans Haunted House runs from October 26 to 31.

Tickets are £19.99 and are available at eventbrite.co.uk.

Doors open at 6.45pm before the first groups go in at 7pm. To book your timeslot call 235222.

It is suitable for those aged 10 and above but youngsters aged between 10 and 16 must attend with an adult. Groups entering the scare attraction can be made up of between two and six people