Concerns have been raised over a Titanic-themed escape room coming to Belfast, where the original doomed liner was built.

Timescape will launch its escape rooms in December, where you and a team have an hour to complete a mission.

The Titanic: The Final Hour escape is advertised as: "It's 11:39pm on April 14, 1912 and you're on the Captain's Bridge at the helm of the RMS Titanic. Suddenly, the words ring out, 'Iceberg, right ahead'. The placid sound of night is broken forever.

"You and your shipmates try desperately to avoid the iceberg but are unable. Now you only have 60 minutes to seal the water tight doors, radio for help, put on your lifejackets; release the davits and get every woman and child into the lifeboats. You must hurry but must not panic as the water rises and time runs out."

President of the Belfast Titanic Society Susie Millar, whose great grandfather Thomas Millar was lost in the Titanic disaster, expressed concern.

She said: "I would have my reservations about the Titanic story being used here in Belfast as the basis for an escape room game. It doesn't sound like a good way to commemorate the loss of the ship."

And John Creamer of the British Titanic Society added: "My personal thoughts are this is a very distasteful idea, and highly disrespectful to the memory of those who died. The Titanic disaster was not a game."

However, the company said the room is "respectful".

There will be three rooms at the facility in Castle Street, with Titanic: The Final Hour being the only permanent room. The others will rotate annually with other themes including futuristic and murder mystery.

You and your team of up to six people are closed in a room for the duration and the best team will be "the one that works together".

Timescape said it could "sympathise that there may be concern".

It said: "At Timescape we have taken great care and effort in carefully recreating an authentic, historical and educational environment that is respectful and allows visitors to experience and appreciate the Titanic and the tragic events of that fateful night.

"We again have taken great care to be respectful to those who perished and those affected. Our room and its props are as historically accurate as possible, and Titanic enthusiasts will surely be impressed with the level of detail and accuracy.

"The Titanic is a huge part of our own heritage and history and we are aiming to further enrich that here right in the heart of Belfast city."

Previous Titanic-themed attractions have been met with criticism. Most recently, a theme park in China shelved plans to create an "iceberg experience" which would allow guests to feel what it was like when the ship sank after complaints it would be in bad taste.

Titanic went down after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage on April 14, 1912, with more than 1,500 lives lost.

Belfast Telegraph