A thrill ride at a Staffordshire theme park has been named the scariest in the country.

The Apocalypse ride at Drayton Manor came out on top in a contest organised by TV programme The Gadget Show.

Presenter Ortis Deley was fitted with an array of hi-tech gadgets to measure his fear before braving a string of rides at theme parks all over the country. He wore a vital jacket which monitored his heart rate, as well as a device to measure the strength of his grip for the duration of the rides.

The TV presenter also had a blood sample taken as soon as each ride finished to see how much adrenalin he had produced.

When the results were analysed it emerged that Apocalypse – the world’s first stand-up drop tower, which opened in 2000 – scared Ortis more than any of the other rides he tried.

“I had an amazing time testing all the rides but, as the results show, Apocalypse was definitely the scariest,” he said.

The attraction lifts thrill-seekers 54-metres into the air before dropping at over 4Gs.

Visitors can choose to ride either sitting down, standing up, or simply dangling from shoulder restraints.

Drayton Manor’s managing director Colin Bryan said he was unsurprised to see Apocalypse topping the chart.

“We’ve always known Apocalype is a terrifying ride, and it’s always been popular with our thrill-seeking visitors,” he said.

The results were unveiled on the Channel Five show on Monday.

Drayton Manor, near Tamworth, is home to a string of other scary rides, including G-Force, Maelstrom and Stormforce 10.

The park recently unveiled a new attraction for its 2009 season, a 4D cinema.