What happened to Alton Towers after the Smiler crash?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) initiated a criminal investigation. In the incident's aftermath, Alton Towers and its owner Merlin Entertainments allegedly observed a drop in revenue and visitor numbers, which they claim influenced their decision to eliminate up to 190 jobs at the theme park.



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Leah Washington and Joe Pugh were both teenagers riding the Smiler when it crashed in 2015. Leah's leg was later amputated and Joe had shattered knees. Leah showed off her engagement ring in a photo from Venice on her Instagram page. She received thousands of likes and wrote: So this happened yesterday…

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Following the accident, merchandise and references to the Smiler were removed from the park. The coaster was closed for the rest of the year. The fate of the ride was unknown until 24 November 2015, when Alton Towers announced that the accident was caused by human error and the ride would reopen in 2016.

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Alton Towers is open between March and November, and takes in around £110m in revenues annually, analysts estimate. This means it makes an average of £464,000 a day – though this will be higher during the summer months.

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All children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult of 18 years and above. Children under 3 years old can visit the park for free. The following height and age restrictions apply: Guests must be 1.4m or over to ride Nemesis, Galatica, The Smiler, Oblivion and Rita (Rita has a maximum height of 1.95m).

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All children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult of 18 years and above. Children under 3 years old can visit the park for free. The following height and age restrictions apply: Guests must be 1.4m or over to ride Nemesis, Galatica, The Smiler, Oblivion and Rita (Rita has a maximum height of 1.95m).

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