Forget the clowns roaming the streets of Kent, soon there'll be something far more scary hiding inside the walls of Bluewater.

Hoping to become one of the county’s premiere horror attractions, The House of the Dead is coming to the shopping centre to terrify shoppers just in time for Halloween.

It opens its doors on Friday, but I was lucky enough to be given an exclusive first look last week and am pleased to report that it delivers on creepy thrills and jump scares.

Featuring twisted takes on Alice in Wonderland and members of the zombie horde shambling through its corridors, self-entitled director of evil Richard Cottier is confident that even Bluewater’s bravest visitors will struggle to cope.

“We look forward to welcoming the areas bravest men and women into our terrifying scare attraction this Halloween season,” he said.

“Scare attractions are the UK’s fastest growing entertainment sector and we have seen major innovations in the industry over the past ten years.

“House of the Dead is bringing the very best in interactive horror experiences to Kent and we are very excited to hear just how loud we can make our guests scream, cry and shout for their mum.”

Believe it or not, I did not cry for my mum, nor did I require a change of underwear, but I would be lying if I claimed to not have been at least a tad bit scared.

There are enough jumps in the dark to ensure that even the most strongly willed attendees are likely to be caught out at least once, and the general atmosphere does a great job of putting everyone on edge.

People with a nervous disposition are actually encouraged not to take part - when people are actually being advised to not spend their money at a shopping centre, you know it really is a genuine warning.

Mr Cottier came down to the attraction’s preview night and certainly played up the fear factor, having already enjoyed seeing his creation have a successful stint up north.

He came up with The House of the Dead alongside Sally Duguid, having been inspired by the American Halloween market, and they’ll become even more familiar with north Kent soon as they’re part of the creative team designing London Paramount.

Mr Cottier added: “We have had a remarkable response last year for our flagship event in Manchester and we expect this to also be the case at Bluewater this year, so we’d urge horror hunters to book in advance to avoid disappointment.”

The House of the Dead is open again from tomorrow until Tuesday, and then next Friday, October 28, until Tuesday, November 1. Doors open at 7.30pm and shut at 10.30pm, with it taking around 30 minutes to walk through.

Tickets will cost £20 starting tomorrow and you can book at houseofthedead.com, but under-12s won’t be allowed in without a consenting adult.

And for the kids...

Bluewater’s younger visitors can also enjoy some Halloween frights this month with The Mystery of the Pumpkin Ghost.

It’s being billed as a family adventure with as many laughs as screams, set inside a mysterious toy shop where the resident toy maker will share stories of the legendary pumpkin ghost.

You will then be invited into his workshop in search of clues to solve the mystery, in what sounds like a classic episode of Scooby Doo come to life.

The Mystery of the Pumpkin Ghost has been designed by the same creative team behind The House of the Dead and is running from October 22 and until October 31, from 11am until 5pm each day.

It should take around 40 minutes to complete and prices start at £6.95 for adults and £7.95 for children, with families of four able to take part for £25.

Book now at houseofthedead.com.