Huge fire breaks out at Drayton Manor theme park
Firefighters battled overnight to tackle a huge fire at Drayton Manor, which is believed to have started in a toilet block in the Thomas Land area of the Staffordshire theme park.
No-one was injured and all of the 100 or so animals at the park are safe, according to a tweet posted by Drayton Manor in the early hours of this morning.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue said crews had been able to stop the fire spreading to other areas of the park, but Drayton Manor said it is still too early to access the damage.
The theme park has a 15-acre zoo and more than 25 rides and attractions plus a 150-room hotel with restaurant and bars.
It was sold in August by the Bryan family to European theme parks operator Looping Group after sinking into administration following a serious of catastrophic events.
In February, the park was flooded after Storm Dennis swept the country. The attractions is also being prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after an 11-year-old girl Eva Jannathdied on the Splash Canyon ride during a trip in 2017.
Cannock Magistrates’ Court heard earlier this month a ‘constellation of failures’ allegedly led to her drowning. The case is due to be heard at Stafford Crown Court.
By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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