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Alton Towers owner fined £5m over Smiler rollercaster crash Alton Towers owner fined £5m over Smiler rollercaster crash
(35 minutes later)
The owner of Alton Towers has been ordered to pay a £5m fine over the Smiler rollercoaster crash that left five passengers with life-changing injuries and others seriously hurt.The owner of Alton Towers has been ordered to pay a £5m fine over the Smiler rollercoaster crash that left five passengers with life-changing injuries and others seriously hurt.
The judge said the company was guilty of a “catastrophic failure to assess risk” and should have had a structured system to ensure the safety of the ride.The judge said the company was guilty of a “catastrophic failure to assess risk” and should have had a structured system to ensure the safety of the ride.
Merlin Attractions was fined following a two-day sentencing, which heard harrowing details of the collision, described as similar to a 90mph car accident.Merlin Attractions was fined following a two-day sentencing, which heard harrowing details of the collision, described as similar to a 90mph car accident.
The judge, Michael Chambers QC, said: “This was a needless and avoidable accident in which those injured were fortunate not to have been killed or to have bled to death.The judge, Michael Chambers QC, said: “This was a needless and avoidable accident in which those injured were fortunate not to have been killed or to have bled to death.
“It was, in my judgment, aggravated by the lack of proper emergency access to the accident site, which meant that those injured remained trapped in great pain and distress hanging at an angle of 45 degrees some 20ft above the ground for four to five hours before being released by the emergency services and taken to hospital.”“It was, in my judgment, aggravated by the lack of proper emergency access to the accident site, which meant that those injured remained trapped in great pain and distress hanging at an angle of 45 degrees some 20ft above the ground for four to five hours before being released by the emergency services and taken to hospital.”
Chambers added that human error was not to blame, as the company had claimed, but that its engineers “were doing their best in a flawed system”. Chambers said human error was not to blame, as the company had claimed, but that its engineers “were doing their best in a flawed system”.
The firm, he said, “fell far short” of the safety standards expected of the UK’s biggest theme park and was “woefully inadequate”. He said the fine would have been £7.5m if the case had gone to trial, but he had to reduce it by a third because of the early guilty plea. The firm, he said, fell far short of the safety standards expected of the UK’s biggest theme park and was “woefully inadequate”. He said the fine would have been £7.5m if the case had gone to trial, but he had to reduce it by a third because of the early guilty plea.
Vicky Balch and Leah Washington, who each lost a leg, were at Stafford crown court on Tuesday along with Joe Pugh, Daniel Thorpe and Chandaben Chauhan, who were also seriously hurt in the crash on 2 June last year.Vicky Balch and Leah Washington, who each lost a leg, were at Stafford crown court on Tuesday along with Joe Pugh, Daniel Thorpe and Chandaben Chauhan, who were also seriously hurt in the crash on 2 June last year.
Paul Paxton, the lawyer for eight of the victims, said he believed the £5m penalty was a record fine for the entertainment industry but that “money alone will never repair limbs or heal the psychological scars”. Paul Paxton, the lawyer for eight of the victims, said he believed the £5m penalty was a record fine for the entertainment industry, but that “money alone will never repair limbs or heal the psychological scars”.
Standing on the steps of the court alongside the victims, he added: “Symbolically and practically, today marks a closure for what has been a long painful chapter for my clients, one in which they have frequently been exposed to the horrors of that day back in June last year. Standing on the steps of the court alongside the victims, he said: “Symbolically and practically, today marks a closure for what has been a long painful chapter for my clients, one in which they have frequently been exposed to the horrors of that day back in June last year.
“It’s worth remembering that this hearing is the first time that my clients have heard the full extent of the criticism against Merlin. To be candid, they have been shocked and disappointed by the catalogue of errors. The list goes on and on.“It’s worth remembering that this hearing is the first time that my clients have heard the full extent of the criticism against Merlin. To be candid, they have been shocked and disappointed by the catalogue of errors. The list goes on and on.
“The catastrophic failure to assess risk, the inadequate training, inadequate supervision, inadequate management, failure to communicate, failure to put in place safe systems of work.“The catastrophic failure to assess risk, the inadequate training, inadequate supervision, inadequate management, failure to communicate, failure to put in place safe systems of work.
“But this has not been about retribution. This has been about finding out why this accident happened and making sure that lessons have been learned, not just by Merlin but by others throughout the industry and I think my clients can take comfort from that.” “But this has not been about retribution. This has been about finding out why this accident happened and making sure that lessons have been learned, not just by Merlin but by others throughout the industry, and I think my clients can take comfort from that.”
Neil Craig, the Health and Safety Executive’s head of operations for the Midlands, said: “When people visit theme parks they should be able to enjoy themselves safely. On 2 June last year Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd failed to protect their customers. They let them badly down. It is right that they have been held to account for those failings in a criminal court.Neil Craig, the Health and Safety Executive’s head of operations for the Midlands, said: “When people visit theme parks they should be able to enjoy themselves safely. On 2 June last year Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd failed to protect their customers. They let them badly down. It is right that they have been held to account for those failings in a criminal court.
“This avoidable incident happened because Merlin failed to put in place systems that would have allowed their engineers to work safely on the ride while it was running. This made it all too easy for a whole series of unchecked mistakes, not just the single push of a button, to result in tragedy.“This avoidable incident happened because Merlin failed to put in place systems that would have allowed their engineers to work safely on the ride while it was running. This made it all too easy for a whole series of unchecked mistakes, not just the single push of a button, to result in tragedy.
“Since the accident Merlin have made improvements to the ride and to their safety protocols and the lessons learned have been shared with the industry.”“Since the accident Merlin have made improvements to the ride and to their safety protocols and the lessons learned have been shared with the industry.”
Nick Varney, the chief executive of Merlin, refused to answer journalists’ questions on whether he would resign when he gave a short statement outside court. Nick Varney, the chief executive of Merlin, refused to say whether he would resign or not when he gave a short statement outside court.
He said: “From the beginning, the company accepted responsibility for the terrible accident at Alton Towers and made an immediate, sincere and heartfelt apology to all those involved. I repeat that apology again now and did in court yesterday. “From the beginning, the company accepted responsibility for the terrible accident at Alton Towers and made an immediate, sincere and heartfelt apology to all those involved. I repeat that apology again now and did in court yesterday,” he said.
“In accepting responsibility and liability very early on, we tried very hard to make the whole healing and compensation process as trouble-free as possible for all those who were injured and their families. We’ve also strived to fulfil our pledge to support them in whatever way we could and I promise that support will continue into the future for as long as they need it.”“In accepting responsibility and liability very early on, we tried very hard to make the whole healing and compensation process as trouble-free as possible for all those who were injured and their families. We’ve also strived to fulfil our pledge to support them in whatever way we could and I promise that support will continue into the future for as long as they need it.”
The judge heard how the victims waited nearly an hour in mid air for paramedics and that it took onlookers 17 minutes to phone 999, despite a crowd gathering within seconds of the collision. The judge heard how the victims waited nearly an hour in mid air for paramedics to arrive.
The barrister Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting for the HSE, said a series of human errors led to the crash on the £18m ride, but that the “fault here is with the employers”, not the staff. Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting for the HSE, said a series of human errors led to the crash on the £18m ride, but that the “fault here is with the employers”, not the staff.
A 254-page expert report, commissioned by the HSE, and submitted to the court as part of the proceedings, found there were four human errors in the run-up to the crash, yet criticised senior management for their “manifestly inadequate” governance of the ride’s technical monitoring. A 254-page expert report commissioned by the HSE and submitted to the court as part of the proceedings found there were four human errors in the run-up to the crash, but criticised senior management for their “manifestly inadequate” governance of the ride’s technical monitoring.
The report said that an engineer had “felt pressure” to get the Smiler ride back into service after it developed a fault shortly before the crash last June. It also said Alton Towers management linked bonuses to “acceptably low levels of downtime” on their rollercoasters. The report said that an engineer had felt pressure to get the Smiler ride back into service after it developed a fault shortly before the crash last June. It also said Alton Towers management linked bonuses to “acceptably low levels of downtime” on their rollercoasters.
The court heard the victims were frustrated that there was a delay of nearly 20 minutes before the first 999 call was made to emergency services, despite a crowd of onlookers gathering within seconds of the collision at 1.51pm. The court heard the victims were frustrated that there had been a delay of nearly 20 minutes before the first 999 call was made, despite a crowd of onlookers gathering within seconds of the collision at 1.51pm. Paramedics first arrived at 2.37pm, nearly 50 minutes after the crash, the court was told.
Paramedics first arrived at 2.37pm – nearly 50 minutes after the crash, the court was told. Footage released on Monday shows the catastrophic series of events leading up to the collision for the first time.
Footage released on Monday shows for the first time the catastrophic series of events leading up to the collision. It shows an empty train starting a test run around the 14-loop rollercoaster at 1.40pm before it comes to a complete stop – known as “valleying” – in the bottom-most part of the Cobra Roll area of the ride at 1.41pm.
It shows an empty train starting a test run around the 14-loop rollercoaster at 1.40pm before it came to a complete stop – known as “valleying” – in the bottom-most part of the Cobra Roll area of the ride at 1.41pm. Winds gusting at 46mph caused the empty test train to stall, but staff failed to notice it was still on the track, the court heard.
Wind gusts of 46mph caused the empty test train to stall, but staff failed to notice it was still on the track, the court heard.
The judge was told that warning signs on the ride were dismissed by staff as false alarms and they overrode a security feature that halted the ride.The judge was told that warning signs on the ride were dismissed by staff as false alarms and they overrode a security feature that halted the ride.
The footage shows a carriage containing Balch, Washington and the other passengers being held at the top of the first loop for nearly eight minutes before it was eventually released at 1.51pm, when staff overrode the safety mechanism and the carriage plunged down the loop and smashed into the empty car. The footage shows a carriage containing Balch, Washington and the other passengers being held at the top of the first loop for nearly eight minutes before it is eventually released at 1.51pm, after staff overrode the safety mechanism. The carriage plunges down the loop and smashes into the empty car.
The two trains were “meshed together”, crushing the legs of those on the front row, and took nearly a minute and a half to come to a complete stop. The two carriages were “meshed together”, crushing the legs of those on the front row, and took nearly a minute and a half to come to a complete stop.
Horrified crowds could be seen gathering near the rollercoaster seconds after the collision as the seriously injured passengers screamed for help. Horrified crowds can be seen gathering near the rollercoaster seconds after the collision as the seriously injured passengers scream for help.
The court heard that the collision took place at 1.51pm, with the first 999 call made 17 minutes later. A community responder was on site at 2.09pm, a helicopter at 2.37pm and the police at 2.57pm.