THE UK's first virtual bowling alley is set to open on Canvey this summer.

Starr Snooker is fitting the system in its seafront snooker hall in Eastern Esplanade.

It is hoped the new attraction, which was invented in Sweden, will be up and running by June.

Using real bowling balls, players will bowl down shorter lanes towards a large screen.

When the ball gets to the end of the lane, it enters the "virtual world" and players will see on screen how many pins they have knocked over based on information collected electronically by laneside sensors on the way down.

The display of the screen can be changed to show different targets, including tomato ketchup bottles, instead of regular tenpin bowling pins.