A boy went to hospital and 10 others were injured after a spinning fairground wheel called “The X Scream” collapsed as it was going round on Friday 31^st May 2013.  The accident occurred in St Neots, Cambridgeshire after 9pm.

Ambulances were called to the fair before one took the injured boy to Hospital.  He suffered a fractured arm and fractured ankle which could result in a compensation claim if there are signs of negligence.

Who was injured?

He was named as 13-year-old Ben Southwood.

Any witnesses?

His friend, Emily Whiteman, also 13, was with him on the ride at St Neots, Cambs.  She said:

“Everything was normal, then the ride made a massive bang and started moving up and down.  It was swinging us round, then the cabin where the controls were was moving too.  The sides were smashed, it was so frightening. Then it made a massive crash on the floor and everyone screamed.”

What has the ride owner said?

The ride owner who has been named as J Fendick blamed a fault with the trailer to which the ride is fixed.  He said:

“It’s a chassis problem apparently. The ride was operated by me and the emergency stop button was used as soon as I realised what was going on.  No one was badly hurt, that’s all I was worried about.”

Health and Safety officials have launched a probe into what went wrong.

What Do The Specialists Say?

“Fair ground owners and operators owe a duty of care to the public to make sure people are safe when using their grounds and rides.  The Health & Safety Executive will get to the bottom of what went wrong and act accordingly.”