Alton Towers boss prosecuted over rollercoaster crash

The Health and Safety Executive said Merlin Attractions will appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on April 22 to face a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Five people were seriously injured on the ride last June, including Vicky Balch of Leyland, who had a leg amputated after a carriage collided with a stationary carriage on the same track.

Neil Craig, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands, said: “We have today informed Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd that it will be prosecuted for breaching health and safety law.

“This was a serious incident with life-changing consequences for five people.

“We have conducted a very thorough investigation and consider that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to bring a prosecution.”

Merlin Entertainments has seen its annual profits edge up after the accident.

The group - which also owns attractions such as Legoland, Madame Tussauds and the London Eye - said it overcame a fall in revenues at its theme parks to post a pre-tax profit rise of 0.3% to £250 million in the year to December 26 compared with a year ago.

It said Alton Towers had a “significant” fall in visitor numbers after the accident on June 2 2015, which resulted in the 500-acre theme park in Staffordshire being shut down for four days.