Alton Towers Faces Smiler Crash Prosecution

The owner of Alton Towers is to be prosecuted over last year's rollercoaster crash that left five people seriously hurt, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said.

The announcement was made hours after the Staffordshire park's parent firm Merlin announced a slight increase in annual profits despite a substantial fall in visitor numbers to Alton Towers.

Two guests each lost a leg in the aftermath of the accident on 2 June when a carriage containing riders collided with an empty one on The Smiler.

The crash was the subject of an immediate HSE probe and was blamed by Merlin on human error.

The ride remains closed ahead of a planned reopening sometime this year.

"We have today informed Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd that it will be prosecuted for breaching health and safety law," the HSE said.

"This was a serious incident with life-changing consequences for five people.

"We have conducted a very thorough investigation and consider that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to bring a prosecution."

Merlin Attractions is due to appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 22 April, the HSE added.

In a statement, the company said: "We have co-operated fully with the HSE throughout their investigation while continuing to support those who were injured in the accident.

"The company completed its own investigation and published the results in November, accepting responsibility for what happened.

"We have also kept the HSE fully informed of the subsequent actions that we have taken to ensure that something like this cannot happen again."

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) closed Alton Towers completely for four days immediately after the collision.

Some rides at other attractions were also suspended to carry out checks and visitor numbers at its theme parks tailed off.

Merlin later blamed falling business at Alton Towers for its decision to announce a restructuring at the park, potentially resulting in 190 job losses.

The group also owns attractions such as Legoland, Madame Tussauds and the London Eye.