Sherlock Holmes theme to take central stage as third 'escape game' opens in Southend

Escape Live has opened in a former dental surgery above the Cornish Bakehouse, in the High Street.

The race against time is the third game of its kind to pop up in Southend in less than 12 months.

Rochford couple Jennifer Green and Jeff Larner, both 28, have spent the past year fitting out two escape rooms- Dr Wilson's office and Room 13- after buying a franchise in a Birmingham based business.

One room is based on Sherlock Holmes, while the other has been made to look like a derelict hospital.

Miss Green said she and Mr Larner were inspired to set up Escape Live due to their mutual love of adventure games.

She said: "When we were children, both of us loved playing these room escape games on computers. Two years ago in Valencia we looked on Trip Advisor for things to do and a real-life escape room game was the top entry.

“We thought we had to find out if there were any more of them back home. We went to one in London but it was pretty rubbish, there was no story or immersion, you were just in a room solving puzzles. A year ago we decided to open one in Essex.”

Miss Green added: “One room is loosely based on Sherlock Holmes, but it’s set in the Twenties because it was easier for us to find furniture for it, and Room 13 is based on a hospital room in which a patient has been abducted."

Hide and Shriek, in the Victoria Shopping Centre, was opened by George Bejko-Cowlbeck and Scott Rose late last year.

Floyd Saun-Leas unveiled Room Escape Southend, in West Street, last month.

Both are zombie themed.

Miss Green insists there is no rivalry between the businesses, and the owners are actually friends with each other.

She added: “We share a passion for the same things and there are more and more of these things popping up. It's really good for us because it helps promote escape games generally – and we know we’ve built the best type of escape room there is.”

For more information or to book tickets, visit escapelive.co.uk