Merlin faces ‘very large fine’ for Alton Towers collision
Merlin Entertainments is facing a ‘very large fine’ after it admitted breaking health and safety laws in relation to a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers.
The collision on the Smiler ride last June injured 16 people.
Two of them had to have their legs amputated and three others suffered life-changing injuries.
In a brief hearing on Friday, Bernard Thoroughgood, counsel for the Health and Safety Executive, told the court the rollercoaster was mechanically sound but there was no system in place to tell staff when a static ride was on the tracks.
Although the static carriage was shown on the computer, a member of staff did not see it and overrode the computer.
Merlin Entertainments pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws and will be sentenced on May 20 at Stafford Crown Court.
District judge John McGarva said Merlin may have to pay a ‘very large fine’.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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