A travelling freak show, the legend of the Pendle Witches and a mix of theatre, horror movies and theme park haunted house effects, will combine from next month for weeks of screams, shrieks and shocks in the dark.

Mark Talbot, 23, and housemate Avon Taylor, who live in Ashton, are gearing up to scare visitors witless in their roles as monsters in Hex In The Harvest, a horror attraction which will be resident in a maze cut into a corn field near Preston.

The University of Central Lancashire graduates are currently working as debt collectors and first tried their hand at spooky acting in Ghost Encounter Live in Eccleston near Chorley.

Mark, who is originally from Wigan, said: "Last year, the show was at Bygone Times and I go there fairly often and I saw the audition notice.

"I brought it back for myself and my friend Avon. We went along to the audition and we got the jobs. I was a crazy gravedigger and Avon was a charred priest."

This year, the scream-factor is stepped up a gear as AtmosFEAR! Scare Attractions brings Hex in the Harvest to a farm at Clayton-le-Dale.

Mark, who studied contemporary music at university and enjoys amateur acting, said: "People should expect to be scared. It's intense - being chased by these Satanic characters around this maize field."

The attraction is the brainchild of AtmosFEAR!'s Creative Producer Jason Karl and Paul Howse, technical producer.

Jason, former co-presenter of Living TV's Most Haunted, said "Hex in the Harvest is the UK's first ever outdoor scare attraction, it's a little like being in a horror film, where you are the victim.

"These type of shows are traditionally associated with the Halloween season in Britain but in America they operate all year round."

Avon, who had no acting experience, is responsible for controlling Silas Crane - a 10ft puppet shipped in especially for the show.

The 24-year-old philosophy graduate, who is originally from Northampton, said: "For 40 minutes, you're wondering whether is something is going to jump out and where they are going to come from. We seem to get quite a mixed group of people coming. You can see from the crowd's reaction that this kind of thing will grow."

* Hex in the Harvest is set to open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights between August 14 and September 13 at Hawkshaw Farm, Longsight Road, Clayton-le-Dale. Tickets cost £10.50 - call 08444 771000.

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