SAFETY bosses have promis-ed new guidelines to protect fun lovers at fairgrounds and amusement parks following a series of fatal accidents.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has conducted a review of fairground safety and is calling for better measures on how rides should be built and inspected.

The HSE says more research is needed to assess how individual behaviour can effect safety, and that all ride examiners must be accredited centrally.

The report was commissioned last year following a spate of tragic accidents at fairgrounds and amusement parks.

One recent victim was 20-year-old student Gemma Savage, who died after suffering severe head and spinal injuries while riding the Treetop Twister at the Lightwater Valley theme park, near Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Last August, 15-year-old Stacey Moorhead suffered severe injuries in an accident on the Superbob ride at the Headland Carnival, in Hartlepool. The accident happened when one of the ride's cars broke free.

Jane Willis, from the HSE's safety policy directorate, said: ''I extend my sincerest symp-athies to the families and friends of those who were killed or injured in any fairground accident.

"Such tragic events are totally unacceptable. The public expects to be protected by the highest standards of safety, observed throughout the industry."

But she denied the deaths could have been averted if there had been more robust regulations in place for the fairground industry.

"The review has found that the HSE's existing safety measures were appropriate. But it also recommends that they be strengthened," she said.

The review supports the introduction of international safety benchmarks on the design, construction and inspection of rides.

It also recommends that consumer groups be represented on the industry watchdog, the Fairground Joint Advisory Committee.

The final key recommendation is that research be undertaken into reducing the scope for individuals to increase risk on rides.

The HSE panel said it had heard anecdotal evidence from fairground owners that children had become increasingly less well-behaved on rides.