RIDING on some of the fastest and most thrilling rollercoasters in the country in the dark is not something you would usually experience.

But this is exactly what you enjoy during Thorpe Park’s three weeks of ‘Fright Night’.

The annual event started this week and lasts until November 3 treating visitors to a spooky experience of spine-chilling horror mazes and thrilling rollercoasters – it’s definitely not one for the faint hearted!

The park is designed to be frightening during these weeks and is not suitable for children under 12 after dark.

A group of us visited on Monday with two 12 year olds and I think it was us adults who were more scared.

We didn’t arrive at the park until mid afternoon but because of the time of year the queues were small which meant we got to ride on everything we wanted.

A particular favourite as always were the water rides where we all got absolutely soaked. But we soon dried off simply by the speed of some of the other rides.

At 4pm each day the live action horror mazes come to life. We decided to go for Hellgate first not knowing what to expect.

You enter the dark maze in small groups where you have to find your way out in a line – all keeping your hands on the shoulders of the person in front. The key is to expect the unexpected, each corner you turn you will be sure to jump quite literally out of your skin as scary characters in costume appear from nowhere and tap you on the shoulder, grab your ankles or whisper in your ear.

The theme seems to be the same for each maze with each one using different special effects including special lighting and strobes. But one thing is guaranteed, the room will be echoed with screams from the moment it opens to when it closes.

If disorientating horror mazes aren’t terrifying enough, with the park open till late thrill hunters can take on the ultimate challenge of riding the ‘Unholy Trinity’ of rollercoasters under the cover of darkness.

Stealth – Europe’s fastest rollercoaster travels from 0-80mph in just two seconds. Colossus, the world’s first ten looping rollercoaster and Nemisis Inferno, a rollercoaster which has been flipped on its head, will really test your nerves.