IT may only be the start of the summer holidays, but Clacton Pier is busy preparing for the cold, dark nights of Autumn with a truly terrifying experience.

Preparations are already underway at the landmark to introduce “Evil on Sea” to heighten the thrills for teenagers and above – along with the existing family orientated Halloween festival for children.

The aim is crank up the scares and dares this year using the Jolly Roger as the base for a host of horror.

The event will run every Friday night and Saturday during October with extra dates on Thursday October 31, as well as November 1 and 2 and will test and challenge the senses to the extreme.

Pier director Billy Ball said a new-style Halloween festival – which replaced the long-running Scarefest last year - went down well but was very much aimed at younger children visiting the attraction.

He said: “We feel we are now ready to up our game and bring in something for the teenagers and young adults that they will go away talking about for months.

“We are working very closely with a company which will put on the Fear the Pier event.

“It will also include adventure golf, exclusive use of the adult rides, the walk through experience and a free drink in the bar in the price.

“The pier itself is pretty scary at night.

“But we will be adding in characters, audio and lights and other special effects which will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.”

Customers will follow a trail around the landmark structure through rooms in the Jolly Roger that will provide chilling thrills and spills from the start to the very finish.

Mr Ball said: “This is another step up from our normal Halloween activities.

“There will be a limited number of spaces available for this night of fright and it will be open to those 13 and over at a price of £19.99.”

Bookings will be taken online on clactonpier.co.uk from August 9.

Full details of the Halloween festival for families to run every day through half term will also be released soon.