A theme park is breathalysing drunk students during Freshers' Week and putting them on a hair-raising ride to sober them up in order to provide a "vomit-free day" for other guests.
Thorpe Park in Staines, Surrey, is introducing the bizarre policy as this week traditionally has a 250% rise in "on-ride vomiting" - due to the number of students taking trips to the park. After breathalysing students, staff will then show those over the limit to "The Swarm" - a rollercoaster with a 127ft drop and "five gut-wrenching inversions".
Far from being a punishment for drunken, raucous students, the move is actually intended to sober them up. The ride, which reaches speeds of 92kph, will settle stomach's and "purge the system", the Metro reported.
Mike Vallis, divisional director of Thorpe Park, said: "During the Freshers' Week period, we realise that a number of our guests do not recognise that they are suffering from the effects of the night before.
"We felt it was our duty to ensure that all of our guests enjoy the extreme nature of our rides and by putting them on The Swarm, which is proven to be the ultimate hangover cure." He added: "We are confident our guests will have a great, and hopefully vomit-free, day."
The speed of the ride will give the passengers a blast of oxygen, improving their metabolic rate and increasing the speed at which toxins are broken down.