A THEME park is to be prosecuted after a seven-year-old boy was 'ejected' from a rollercoaster and left in a 'critical condition' with head injuries, last year.
The operators of Lightwater Valley are being prosecuted for alleged breaches to the Health and Safety act following the incident on May 30, 2019.
At the time, a seven-year-old boy had been riding on the theme park's 'Twister' rollercoaster when he reportedly 'fell' from the carriage.
One witness, Mark Charnley, who had been queuing along with his 10-year-old daughter, said the boy had been "hanging backwards outside the actual carriage," before falling to the ground.
Another witness Lara-Susan James along with husband Steve James, daughter Abbie, 7, and son Adam, 9, described the scene unfold at the time.
Mrs James said:"They started shouting to the operator to stop the ride. It was at that moment I realised something was wrong. I saw the operator apply the emergency stop.
"My husband pointed to the fallen kid on the ground saying they had fallen out."
The boy was later airlifted to hospital from the theme park in Ripon with head injuries, and understood to have been in a 'critical but stable' condition.
But almost one year on, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have confirmed it is taking legal action against Lightwater Valley Attractions Ltd - which runs the park.
It said the theme park operators would face a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act, while it said it was "currently liaising" with Leeds Magistrates' Court to fix a first hearing date.
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