Theme park bosses say £15m ride is so scary it should have age limits

A NEW £15 million roller-coaster is "too terrifying" for anyone aged under 16 or over 55, Alton Towers has revealed.

Protesters had called for a detailed archaeological survey when the resort submitted a planning application for a ride to replace the iconic Corkscrew.

Now theme park bosses claim the latest attraction's theme is based on the "discovery" of an unearthed ancient burial ground in nearby woodland.

Thirteen – dubbed a "pyschoaster" – will run for the first time on March 20.

But its combination of "physical and psychological fear" means the theme park is considering an age, as well as height, restriction.

Visitors may be asked to sign a waiver to assure operators of their health "to avoid any resulting lawsuits".

And anyone brave enough to climb aboard may be limited to just one ride per day.

Morwenna Angove, Alton Towers sales and marketing director, said: "This new ride will be a shocking, never-experienced-before roller-coaster and we're excited to offer visitors the chance to experience something unavailable in any other part of the world.

"However, just as we take physical health and safety very seriously, Thirteen demands that we also consider our visitors' emotional health.

"We're not afraid of introducing necessary measures to ensure riders are fully prepared and healthy enough to brave Thirteen."

Thirteen has been in design for two years and taken a team of 35 experts nine months to construct. It was tested in Europe before being shipped to the Staffordshire Moorlands in September.

It has been put up on a burial site which was part of the original Alton Abbey.

One of the main features of the ride will take place inside a crypt. Its technology will be the first of its kind in the world.

Roller-coaster expert and designer John Wardley said: "This ground-breaking technology is something never seen before and will open up a whole new concept for theme park rides.

"Thirteen will be the first ride to play on emotional fear and something coaster fans will not be prepared for."

But Age Concern has hit out at the park saying it could be discrimination to stop people going on the ride just because of age.

Jane Emms, chief executive of Age Concern North Staffordshire, said: "People should be able to choose whether to ride or not, it could be discrimination to focus solely on age.

"I think if it's such a scary ride what they should really be looking at is whether people have heart conditions or other medical conditions, rather than focusing on age. I don't think its really related to age.

"It seems to be quite a young age to be setting. I think they are probably just covering themselves."

Alton Towers stepped up security to ensure details of the new ride – which is expected to pull in an extra 100,000 visitors to the park next summer – remain secret.

Google Earth was asked to keep its cameras away, asking staff to sign confidentiality forms and even hiring Simon Cowell's former bodyguard Tony Adkins to ward off trespassers.

In July this year Ms Angove was placed ninth in How-Do Top 100 marketers for her devotion to launching publicity stunts.