Full Breakdown
Fairground Ride Malfunction Injures Three at Rotherham’s Maltby Crags Fair
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Incident Details
On Friday evening at the Maltby Crags Fair in Rotherham, a family-type ride known as the “superbob” experienced a mechanical failure. The ride, which can carry up to 22 vehicles moving in a wave-like motion, left two schoolchildren (aged 11 and 13) and a 21-year-old woman with injuries. Both children were transported to Sheffield Children’s Hospital by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service; the woman also received medical care. Emergency responders included two ambulances and three rapid-response vehicles, and a heavy police presence was noted on nearby Blyth Road fields.
Official Response
South Yorkshire Police confirmed that emergency services attended the scene and that the fairground was closed for the evening before later reopening. The police statement emphasized that the injuries were treated as a precaution and described them as “minor.” Ex-Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford posted on social media urging parents to check on their children at the fair. The Yorkshire Ambulance Service verified the transport of the two children to the specialist hospital.
Safety Context
The incident follows a series of recent fairground accidents across the UK. In May, a five-year-old fell several metres from a theme-park ride in North Wales, and earlier the same month a fairground firm was shut down after a ride broke off its track with three children inside. A BBC investigation last year identified thousands of injuries at funfairs, amusement parks, and theme parks throughout England, Scotland, and Wales over the previous decade.
Verbatim Quotes
- “ In a statement, South Yorkshire Police said: "Emergency services are currently in attendance at an incident at Maltby Crags Fair in Rotherham after three young people aged between 11 and 13 suffered minor injuries while on a ride.” — South Yorkshire Police