Alton Towers facing fine after admitting safety breach

Alton Towers operator Merlin has indicated a guilty plea after being charged with breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The Smiler rollercoaster crashed in June last year leaving five people seriously injured.

The incident resulted in two women having their legs amputated, including Vicky Balch from Lancashire, after their carriage collided with a stationary carriage on the same track.

Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd. had previously accepted responsibility for the crash after it carried out its own internal investigation.

The guilty plea came as the case was being heard at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

District Judge Jack McGarva warned that the company "may be ordered to pay a very large fine".