Bloodthirsty zombies have infested a once-popular shopping centre, prompting groups of armed civilians to risk getting eaten alive to fight the shambling undead.

Fortunately, all the terrifying goings-on at the derelict Friar’s Walk mall in Friar Street are nothing supernatural and are part of a popular new game which has arrived in town. Wish.co.uk has chosen Reading to launch the Zombie Shopping Mall experience – based on classic zombie movie Dawn of the Dead – which gives people the chance to take part in their very own horror film.

My (un)dead scary mission taking on town's zombies

Teams of ‘survivors’ are pitted against the zombie hordes in a variety of games, after training by ‘police firearms experts’.

Ammo is scarce and chances to reload are few and far between – meaning the living must work as a team to defeat the undead as they roam around the centre’s shops, restaurants and even a children’s play area.

The experience will open to the public this weekend and organisers, who do not know how long they will be able to stage it as the centre is due for demolition, say they are already fully booked until August.

Richard Kershaw, co-founder of Wish.co.uk, said: “We believe this is the most realistic zombie encounter available anywhere in the UK.

“We’re expecting Zombie Shopping Mall to be one of our most popular experiences – not least because the mall is due to be demolished.

“We’ll be taking bookings for as long as we’re able to, but may have to withdraw this from sale at short notice.”

The game has its roots in the sport Airsoft, a game where people shoot targets and each other with guns firing small plastic pellets.

Participants in Zombie Shopping Mall are armed with pump-action shotgun-style guns, which may not be capable of causing serious injury but do pack a bit of a punch.

The zombies are mostly Airsoft players who jumped at the chance to play the part. A team of special effects make-up artists have made sure that the creatures look convincing even at close quarters, with liberal splashes of blood -made from treacle and food colouring.

The mall itself is still largely unchanged from when it was open. Many of the shop fascias are still in place, although organisers have added some special effects and lighting.

The Zombie Shopping Mall experience is suitable for groups of up to around 15 and costs £119 per person. For that contestants get four hours of games plus refreshments.

For more information or to book a place, visit http://wish.co.uk/zombie-shopping-mall

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