The countdown to Halloween is well and truly on in Burton and South Derbyshire - as horror attraction Screamfest returns to the National Forest Adventure Farm.

The Burton Mail was given personal access to the five spooky sections at the park, and the scares didn't disappoint.

The event began on Thursday October 12, and is running on set nights up until Halloween on Tuesday, October 31.

This year’s event included two new creepy additions to the existing three at the farm, which housed more than 120 actors, including students from Burton and South Derbyshire College, ranging from demons to zombies, clowns, witches and vampires.

The Love Hurts attraction returned for a second year, putting participants in the role of lonely singletons at a speed dating night, curiously hosted in a mock sewage plant.

The first thing that hit on the entrance to this attraction was the distinct stench of sewage. Horror fans are then led through a maze of scenes showing other love-hopefuls being cut up, with prosthetic limbs and dangling intestines scattered throughout.

An abnormally tall ghoul, pictured with Tiffany and Lacey Haggard

The event ended with an experience straight out of a horror film as a chainsaw-wielding surgeon chased the group out of the maze and back to normality.

The gruesome scenery mixed with the smell of sewage, and the quick pace participants are rushed through Love Hurts to try and escape made the attraction both memorable and scary.

Another returning attraction was Soul Seekers, with queues forming outside the designated tent within 30 minutes of its opening.

The team hunted through the Helton Grand hotel, after all the residents were found dead in horrific scenes. Participants investigated a number of hotel rooms and witnessed the aftermath of the brutal murders in each, with a paranormal feeling to each room.

The final attraction to make a return from previous years was Freakout, a spooky circus tent with some interesting, and terrifying clowns.

National Adventure Farm Annual Screamfest 2017 Demonica Zone

Set up in the style of a maze, participants were able to pick their own route through the tent, trying to avoid the numerous clowns littered through the tent which tried to steer visitors down the wrong path to get lost in the circus maze forever.

The labyrinth was certainly confusing, with clowns of all shapes and sizes popping up, screaming in the faces of anyone who dared enter and throwing out all manner of insults.

The loud circus music, series of identical rooms and groups of creepy clowns made the trip to the circus different to any other.

Speaking on the opening night, director at the National Adventure Farm and one of the masterminds behind Screamfest, Tom Robinson said he had been nervous during the spectacle.

Mr Robinson said: "Obviously we're a little bit nervous, but we've got a good team that have put everything together, we're really happy with the production and really happy with the actors and performers, so we had a dress rehearsal last night, which went well and we're hopeful that the rest of the month will be too.”

Mr Robinson said one of the highlights of any year’s event was seeing the reaction of horror-fanatics who visit year-on-year to the different attractions.

National Adventure Farm Annual Screamfest 2017
Diade Los Muertos Zone
Dia de Los Muertos corn maze

This year, the two main additions were Dia de los Muertos, a terrifying escape from a corn maze on the night of the living dead, and Demonica, which transported those taking part into the realm of tortured souls.

On Dia de los Muertos, a tractor took a group of around 20 people on a trip around the farm and to the entrance of a corn maze.

Throughout the ride, festival music was played to get the whole group in the mood for the Mexican festival.

After being dropped off on the edge of the corn maze, the group was faced with only one choice, to venture through to get to the other side.

As this was Screamfest, it was not just a simple maze, with chainsaw-wielding farmers maintaining the land, ghouls rising out of graves and underground illegal wrestlers encouraging participants to take part in the sport.

Dia de los Muertos was easily the longest attraction at Screamfest, and took around 30 minutes to escape the maze, which was decorated with moving graves, plenty of skeletons and much more.

National Adventure Farm - Annual Screamfest 2017
Love Hurts Zone
Singletons bite off more than they can chew when looking for love in Love Hurts

The intense atmosphere of finding your way through the high corn, in the dark and unsure of what may lurk around each corner made the attraction both horrifying and memorable.

The final attraction was billed by organisers as a ‘truly terrifying experience unlike anything you’ve faced at Screamfest before.’

Placed in small groups, participants are welcomed into confined rooms where the walls started to glow red and demonic voices screamed out.

The back door of a room burst open, where the group then entered a complicated maze filled with mist and intense strobe lighting, making it impossible to see anything.

Actors, in the role of tortured souls trying to escape the maze themselves, screamed in the ears of participants as they passed through. Mixed with the confusion of not being able to see and the constant feeling of being followed made Demonica a fantastic addition to the festival.

Anybody feeling brave enough to tackle Screamfest for themselves can find out more online at https://www.screamfest.co.uk/.

Receptionist's alter-ego is terrifying Screamfest actress at National Adventure Farm

By day, Catherine Kitching is a friendly, unassuming hotel receptionist. But when night falls, her dark side takes over as she transforms into a terrifying zombie.

And the devilishly-diminutive actress will soon enjoy the thrill of reducing grown men to tears at a top Halloween attraction.

Catherine, from Uttoxeter, will play an integral role in Screamfest.

Catherine Kitching in her role as a scare maze actress at Screamfest at the National Adventure Farm
Catherine Kitching in her role as a scare maze actress at Screamfest at the National Adventure Farm

After five years acting in the annual Halloween extravaganza's terrifying mazes, the 25-year-old has now worked her way up to the role of show captain.

Former Thomas Alleyne's High School pupil Catherine will be in charge of ensuring everything runs smoothly - as well as enjoying the buzz of getting into character for some truly scary acting.

She said: "The thrill you get from scare acting is truly unique. It might sound a bit sadistic, but for someone who's only 5ft 4in, being able to reduce a 6ft 4in-tall man to tears makes you feel quite powerful.

"It's really tough and physically demanding, as you're having to act intensely for four hours at a time, but there's something quite magical about how immersed you can get in it.

"Weirdly, though, even though I know what happens behind the scenes to create the illusions, I'm the biggest wimp ever when it comes to doing the mazes myself.

"I just can't stop getting so into it that I get absolutely terrified. I don't know why, but there's something about being chased by someone wielding a chainsaw that frightens me."