Teenagers injured in fairground ride accident at Abbey Park, Leicester

Two teenagers were injured after they were thrown from a fairground ride.

The boys were catapulted through the air when the Mega Bounce Frog ride at Billy Bates Fairground in Abbey Park, Leicester, broke on Saturday.

Video footage sent to the Mercury by shocked witnesses shows the carriage carrying the boys detach from the spinning ride and flip over into a metal barrier.

Bystanders said one the boys was thrown from the carriage as it broke lose, while another was still in it when it landed face down.

They said the ride, which was filled with children, was halted and parents pulled their screaming youngsters from the seats.

Yesterday, one of the boys was in intensive care and had surgery after suffering a broken arm, ribs and chest injuries.

The other teenager was being treated for a broken nose and teeth.

Zimran Isyas was filming friends on the ride and captured the moment it broke, at 6.30pm.

The 18-year-old, from Belgrave, Leicester, said: "People around me were screaming and crying. I could not believe what I had seen.

"People were screaming 'stop the ride' over and over."

Jatinder Virdee was watching his 11-year-old niece and seven-year-old nephew on the ride when the "nightmare" unfolded. The 38-year-old, from Braunstone, said: "It was like something from the horror film Final Destination. It was shocking.

"The ride had gone round about three times and then the bit carrying two youngsters flew off into the barriers.

"That was when the mayhem started. Everybody was screaming. It was a nightmare.

"I pulled my niece and nephew off the rides. They were distraught, along with my two-year-old daughter and four-year-old nephew who was watching with me."

Mr Virdee said first-aiders attended the boys.

The ride has a number of carriages which spin at a low level gathering speed – which was when the ride broke – before extending high into the air.

The Mercury understands the injured boys are aged about 16 and attend a school in the city.

Fairground director Kennedy Bates said he had been in close contact with one of the teenagers' families.

He said one of the boys was in intensive care, but after an operation in the early hours of yesterday was doing better.

The other teenager suffered a broken tooth and nose and facial injures.

"We are devastated," Mr Bates said. "I spoke to my dad and he says that in 40 years of being in Leicester nothing like this has happened.

"Our biggest concern is obviously with the lads and their families and we wish them the best recovery.

"We are not sure at the moment what happened.

"We have nothing to hide. We put our kids on our rides and ride them ourselves, so we are still in shock."

He said Billy Bates had subcontracted the ride from another company and Abbey Park fair was the first time it had been used.

He said all the rides were checked regularly.

A police spokeswoman said: "The fairground was closed for the night and the area cordoned off while the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated."

The HSE said it was investigating and could not comment further.

The ride was dismantled by staff yesterday afternoon.

The fair opened on July 22, and was due to stay until August 28. It has been closed since the accident but may reopen today.