A businessman is risking everything to bring a new type of entertainment to his home town – virtual reality gaming.

Ed Walter has ploughed his savings and even sold his home so he can launch his new venture, named VR World in the Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre in Maidstone.

He is already hard at work converting the former Burger King restaurant off Barker Road into a space-age hub to accommodate his gaming machines, and hopes to be up-and-running next month.

He said: “The idea came to me when I was on holiday in Cyprus where we came across a VR parlour.

“My 10-year-old step-son was hooked and we ended up spending all our time there.

“I thought ‘What a great idea!’ and when I came back, I researched, researched and researched.”

It turns out there are very few virtual reality arcades outside London.

“I’m always on the look-out for a business opportunity and I thought at once, I must do this.”

But Mr Walter said that his concept will be a little different from those virtual reality hubs that do exist.

He said: “In most, you have to book a time-slot and play for 30 minutes or an hour.

“My business is going to be walk-in. You will be able to play just one game, perhaps if you get here early for a film for example, or you can stop and play as many games as you like.

“You won’t need to pay £40 or £50 for a session, perhaps just £5 to have a go.”

He has ordered seven state-of-the-art virtual reality machines that are being delivered from China.

They will include a four-player cage, where friends can play together to take on an invasion of zombies, dinosaurs or aliens.

There will be a car simulator ride where players can pick their vehicle and racetrack and see if they are as good as Lewis Hamilton.

There will similarly be a flight simulator, where if they like, players can become Ironman zooming about between skyscrapers.

There will also be a machine capable of spinning the strapped-in player around and even upside down, as he or she is given the impression they are on a roller coaster or maybe a space-fighter.

There will be two pods where players can simply enjoy a different experience, like taking an underwater swim in the sea with the fish for example.

And a pod, where you can play various games, such as becoming Aladdin on his magic carpet.

Mr Walter said: “There will need to be a weight limit on the game that spins you upside down and there will have to be age limits on some machines – I haven’t quite decided what yet.

“But when I played the Zombie game, even I found that quite scary. It wouldn’t be suitable for young children.

“Though some rides, such as taking a swim underwater should be okay for anyone.”

Mr Walter admits he is taking a very big gamble. He has had to sell his family home in Malvern Road, off the Sutton Road, that he bought at the age of 25 to raise the cash to invest.

He said: “The machines are very, very expensive. I have sold my house to raise the capital – I’m now living in rented accommodation in Lenham. I’ve used all my savings, all the profits from my other businesses, to invest in this one. So it had better work!”

Mr Walter is hoping that if virtual reality proves as popular as he hopes it will, he could expand the business into a virtual reality theme park.

He said: “At the moment I’m starting with seven machines because that’s all I have room for.”

He plans to open seven days a week, but the hours are yet to be decided. He said: “I’m at Lockmeadow often and I’m working out when are the busiest times here.”

He anticipates having probably three staff on duty, which means hiring six workers to cover the seven-day week.

He said: “There’s an awful lot still to do, and an awful lot still to decide.

“Fortunately my partner, Emma Marchant, is helping me by doing the socials for the business.”

At just 32, Mr Walter already has three businesses in the town. He runs Ted Alert, a company that supplies smart GPS tracking buttons or watches for the vulnerable, such a people with dementia, so that they can be found if they wander off.

He also has a company called My Electrics, which provides an electrical inspection and maintenance service.

Then there is Smarter Energy Group, which aims to save people money on their energy bills by fitting a device to lower the voltage of electricity coming through their switchboard.

He explained: “We use a 240-volt system in the UK, but most of our devices are designed to European standards, and they use 220 volts. So we are effectively over-powering everything – and wasting energy.”

All the businesses have a registered office in Maidstone High Street.

To find out more about VR World click here.

KentOnline recently reviewed a 360 VR chair experience – similar to the sensation of a rollercoaster – at Orb Virtual Reality, in Gravesend.

Cllr Claudine Russell is Maidstone council’s cabinet member for leisure and the arts. She said: “Back in November 2019, the council purchased the lease for Lockmeadow Entertainment Complex as part of our commitment to deliver a vibrant leisure and culture offer for residents and visitors.”

“This great new VR World will be a fantastic addition to Lockmeadow, helping us deliver on this.”