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Alton Towers Smiler crash: 'Disgusting' students 'dress as victims' Alton Towers Smiler crash: Victims' disgust at fancy dress
(7 days later)
Teenagers injured in the Smiler crash at Alton Towers have described students who apparently dressed up as the victims as "disgusting". Students who dressed up as a rollercoaster and called themselves the "7 legless" have apologised to victims of the Alton Towers crash.
The University of Nottingham students made their fancy dress outfits for a bar crawl then posed for photos for student news site The Tab. The University of Nottingham students made the outfits for a bar crawl and posed in them for a student news site.
Victim Joe Pugh tweeted a link to the article and his girlfriend Leah Washington, who had her leg amputated, also tweeted in reference to it. Smiler crash victim Joe Pugh and girlfriend Leah Washington, who had her leg amputated, tweeted their "disgust".
The students have since apologised. The University of Nottingham Students' Union said the costume was "in no way intended to reference the tragedy".
The University of Nottingham Students' Union claimed the costume was "in no way intended to reference the tragedy" at Alton Towers. In an interview with a university magazine, the students admitted they attached fake legs to their costumes but said it was to simulate "a person sitting down" rather than any form of injury.
However, the reporter who wrote the article said some of the students were wearing fake amputated legs. Joe Pugh, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire tweeted: "How awful and disrespectful can people get? Disgusting."
The university itself said it "expects to receive a full report" from the students' union. The photos were taken by a reporter from student news site The Tab during a bar crawl called the "7 Legged" on Monday night.
The Tab reporter Joseph Archer, who wrote the article with colleague Claire Anderson, said the students were happy to pose for photos. In a statement, the University of Nottingham Students' Union, said: "The costume was in no way intended to reference the tragedy that occurred on the Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers.
"They wanted their pictures taken; they wanted to be in The Tab," he said.
"They got into the formation of The Smiler ride and on the back row they had limbs hanging off."
Joe Pugh, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, tweeted a link to the story and said: "How awful and disrespectful can people get? Disgusting."
Mr Archer and his colleague were taking photos of several groups of students on a bar crawl called the "7 Legged" on Monday night.
The students called themselves the "7 Legless".
Mr Archer said they had stuffed some old jeans to make fake amputated legs.
In a statement, the University of Nottingham Students' Union, said: "The costume was in no way intended to reference the tragedy that occurred on the Smiler roller coaster at Alton Towers.
"Its design was based on a traditional concept that has existed for several years and no reference was made to the Smiler by the students involved."Its design was based on a traditional concept that has existed for several years and no reference was made to the Smiler by the students involved.
"The students involved further wish to apologise unreservedly to those affected by the Smiler incident for any offence or distress they may have unwittingly caused.""The students involved further wish to apologise unreservedly to those affected by the Smiler incident for any offence or distress they may have unwittingly caused."
The University of Nottingham said it had "liaised closely" with the students' union since it became aware of the conduct of those attending the event.The University of Nottingham said it had "liaised closely" with the students' union since it became aware of the conduct of those attending the event.
"The university is aware of the SU's initial investigations regarding this matter and its media statement issued today," it said."The university is aware of the SU's initial investigations regarding this matter and its media statement issued today," it said.
"The university expects to receive a full report from the SU on the conduct of the event on 17 October and the future of the event itself.""The university expects to receive a full report from the SU on the conduct of the event on 17 October and the future of the event itself."
Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations.Sixteen people were injured in the crash in June 2015, including Ms Washington and Vicky Balch, who both needed leg amputations.
Alton Towers operator Merlin was fined £5m after admitting breaching the Health and Safety Act.Alton Towers operator Merlin was fined £5m after admitting breaching the Health and Safety Act.
Mr Archer has spoken to the students since the photos were published, but said they did not want to comment. Update 26 October 2016: This report has been amended after The Tab said it had incorrectly reported the students were dressed as Smiler victims with "fake amputated legs".