The investigation into last month’s incident at Coney Beach Amusement Park continues, with the ride in question now being inspected by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) experts at its laboratory in Buxton.
Several children were injured in the incident involving the Wacky Worm ride at the venue in Porthcawl, South Wales at around 5.30pm on Wednesday 13 August. No one was seriously hurt but a number of people required hospital treatment.
HSE issued a Notice to Leave Undisturbed on the Wacky Worm ride, in the immediate aftermath, to allow the ride to be inspected as it was at the time of the incident. In addition, a prohibition notice was issued on the ride, which means in the future the ride would need to be repaired and checked by an independent and competent person before being put back in service.
Other rides at the park were inspected and one nearby ride, the Mini Jet Ride, was also issued with a prohibition notice, but has been subsequently repaired after safety issues were found.
Simon Chilcott, principal inspector at HSE, said: “While the school summer holidays are now over, it is completely understandable that many people continue to feel the impact of what happened in Porthcawl last month.
“We’ve worked very closely with the police and taken swift action to preserve evidence and keep people safe. Witness accounts have been shared with us, as well as footage taken on the day of the incident, and these will be used to inform our investigation.
“The investigation is likely to take some time, but once it is complete, a decision will be made on what further action should be taken.”