A theme park in Leicestershire has been prosecuted after a young boy’s birthday celebration took a terrifying turn for the worse when he broke his leg on a ride.
The eight-year-old boy from Derby was with his family Twin Lakes Park when the incident occurred in April 2013.
Earlier this month (2nd February) Leicester Magistrates’ Court heard how the boy and his parents were on the Jester’s Revenge ride, which consists of a spinning barrel. However, during the ride the boy’s left foot became twisted and it got stuck due to his shoelace getting tangled in a bolt.
He needed to have his leg straightened as a result of the incident, leaving him with a full cast from his thigh to his toes and he couldn’t get out of bed for eight weeks. He needed 24 hour care during the time it too for his leg to heal.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the bolt in which the boy’s shoelace became stuck was protruding from the base of the column holding the central disc on which riders turn to make the barrel spin. BB & B Leisure Parks Ltd, the company that owns Twin Lakes, had attempted to cover the bolt head with agricultural self-adhesive tape but this was prone to wearing through as it rubbed against people’s shoes when they used the ride. Daily checks on its condition had been put into place but it could wear through quickly as it was very soft and flexible.
B & B Leisure Parks Ltd was fined £13,500 along with costs totalling £30,000 after it pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.