A PARALYMPIC hero was refused permission to ride on the Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers over “health and safety” fears.
Claire Cashmore, an amputee who has one arm, was celebrating her birthday at the attraction last Tuesday with boyfriend Dave Ellis when she was denied access to the ride.
The 29-year-old then took to Twitter to raise concerns with the theme park.
She was denied access after a member of staff at the theme park noticed the gold and silver medal winning swimmer had a stump.
The staff member told her she would not be allowed on as she didn’t have two hands, and she would be in breach of health and safety conditions.
But Claire, who was awarded an MBE for her Rio heroics, branded the decision as “ridiculous”.
Claire, of Kidderminster, Worcs, said: “I was quite taken aback when I was told and thought this is ridiculous.
MOST READ IN NEWS
“She saw my arm and asked if I was an amputee and then said she was sorry but she could not let me on this ride.
“I didn’t think that was right and wondered if she was new and just didn’t know the rules.
“I went on all the other rides and, like those, you get strapped in anyway.
“I have visited theme parks before and never been stopped. I can’t see how having one arm would affect me on this.
“I have never been told I can’t do anything on theme parks.
“I train a lot, I have been rock climbing and am quite strong.”
In 2015 a tragic incident on the Smiler left 11 people injured, five of which were serious.
Two people on the ride required partial leg amputations.
However a spokeswoman for Alton Towers said that the health and safety rules for the ride have no connection with the Smiler crash.
They added that the restriction was in place to protect the health and safety of users.
The spokeswoman added: “As the health and safety of our guests is always our main priority, we do have restrictions in place which mean some of our rides and attractions are not suitable for everyone.
“In the rare event that it is necessary to evacuate the ride, this may require guests to descend a short distance on a ladder using a harness and safety line.
“Current Health & Safety Executive guidance states that it is essential to maintain three points of contact when using a ladder.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to Ms Cashmore, however Alton Towers Resort would never put any guest at risk by operating outside of these guidelines.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368