Robyn Doughty said Newsham Scream Park left her “shocked and disgusted” after she entered the optional Hellfire Club, the adults-only part of the Liverpool Halloween attraction. She said she expected “fun scares” but instead found what she described as a “depraved” experience at Newsham Scream Park in Liverpool.
The visit took place in a group of seven that included two 15-year-olds, who were able to buy tickets for the optional section but were not allowed in because of their age. Doughty said the experience included obscene sexual language and physical elements for which there had been no adequate warning.
Robyn Doughty and the 18+ section
Doughty said the Hellfire Club made graphic references to sex acts and incest, and that it “felt like a simulation of sexual assault, sexual degradation, sexual violation”. She also said, “It wasn't a joke. It wasn't funny,” and told the it was “irresponsible and unjustifiable to make a mockery of sexual assault”.
Before entering, Doughty said visitors were asked to sign a waiver and were given a safe word in a busy queue. She said the website lists be aware of PTSD and anxiety but nowhere says graphically sexual. Her complaint is not about a surprise scare; it is about an 18+ experience that, by her account, moved into sexual material without the kind of plain warning a customer would reasonably expect before buying in.
Hellfire Club terms
Newsham Scream Park said the Hellfire Club centred around a sinister secret society and that visitors had to sign a waiver outlining “the nature of the experience” before entering. It said its terms and conditions, which must be agreed to before entry, cover “adult and horror themes, physical interaction and sensory effects”.
The attraction also said the Hellfire Club is clearly identified as an 18+ attraction and is optional, and that it was “designed to deliver an intense experience”. That leaves the dispute on a narrow but important line: whether an attraction can describe itself as adults-only and still owe visitors a sharper, more specific sexual-content warning than the one Doughty says she saw.
Grade II site in Liverpool
Newsham Scream Park sits at the former Grade II listed Newsham Park Hospital, which adds a second layer to the complaint because this is not a standalone adults-only venue but part of a wider Halloween attraction. Doughty said she had enjoyed the broader experience before, which makes her reaction to the Hellfire Club more pointed than a first-time complaint.
The practical takeaway is simple: anyone considering the 18+ section should treat the attraction’s waiver and terms as the minimum reading, not the full description of what may be inside. Doughty’s account suggests the real issue is not entry policy alone, but whether the warning matches the content closely enough for visitors to make an informed choice before they join the queue.
