The full film can be viewed above.
The torrid history of a North East amusement park – including the story of a horrifying tiger attack – is laid bare in a new documentary film.
Seaburn Ocean Park and Zoo World was home to dolphins, flamingos, seals and big cats, and became one of the region’s most popular seaside attractions before its closure in the 1970s after a string of high-profile accidents.
The startling story is brought to life in the film I Remember When, by documentary maker Robert Kilburn.
Robert used archive footage from the Sunderland Echo and Newcastle Chronicle to tell the story of the resort’s heydays, with new interviews with former staff.
The film also features interviews with witnesses to a horrifying roller-coaster crash, and the story of a frantic bid to recapture an escaped lion.
In one chilling account, Janet Coghlan recalls the moment she was mauled by a Bengal tigress while helping out at the park during the school holidays as a 13-year-old in 1978.
Janet recovered from the attack after plastic surgery and treatment including 250 stitches.