I went on Blackpool Pleasure Beach's Ghost Train and was left with a soft tissue injury after it tipped over

Lee McHugh, 44, says he is a regular visitor to the popular amusement park and enjoys the Ghost Train - particularly because of the ghostly legend of it being haunted by a clog-wearing ride operator called Cloggy. But he says he won’t be going back on it again after the incident on Saturday (May 11), when his carriage took a sharp bend at speed and tipped over to the side.

Lee, from Barsley in South Yorkshire, says only his arm stopped the carriage tipping over completely and as a result the arm was dragged along the wall behind him for about three seconds.

Sign up for our free newsletters now It has left him with a painful “soft tissue” injury which means he won’t be able to use his arm properly for weeks, and he says he still has flashbacks.

Although he was treated by on-site medical staff, Lee says he was disappointed with the attitude of managers and by the fact that the ride remained running despite what had happened.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach insists the ride was safe to continue and the company has now offered Lee a full refund.

The carriage flew round the corner

Lee, a support worker by profession but currently not in work, was on the ride with partner, Sam Evans.

He said: “ We love the Pleasure Beach and go there on average two or three times a year.

“There were about 10 of us, my partner and me and her work pals, in Blackpool for the weekend and having a great time.

“The two of us went on the Ghost Train and we normally go with my stepson, who’s a lot smaller than I am.

“The pair of us were on it and it seemed to be quicker than usual - and when the car flew round the corner it tipped over.

“My arm ended up trapped between the car and the wall for about three seconds and stopped the car from falling over.

“It happened very fast but it was traumatic because I didn't know what was going to happen and the pain was agonising.

“I dread to think what could have happened if my stepson had been sitting where I was.”

Lee added: “What disappoints me is that the two managers who dealt with me didn't seem to be that bothered about what had happened.

“I didn’t even get an apology or even the offer of a cup of tea or coffee. I think they should have stopped the ride for an hour and done test runs to make sure it didn’t happen again. What’s an hour on a busy day?”

Lee denies some suggestions on the Pleasure Beach Facebook site that he was motivated by a compensation claim, and even that he wanted to see a historic ride shut down.

They could have done better

He said: “That really isn’t it - I’m not bothered about compensation and I definitely don't want the ride shut down - it has always been my favorite.

“But what happened here was an accident and it could have been far worse.

“The Pleasure Beach should have done better, from a health and safety, and a customer relation point of view.

“I’ve been coming here for years but it’s made me think I don’t want to go back, which is a big shame.

“Some of the others on the site said it had happened to them too.”

On the site, one woman said her hand was “in bits” after she used it right the carriage after it tipped.

What the Pleasure Beach says

A spokesperson from Pleasure Beach Resort said: “We regret to hear that Mr McHugh was unhappy with the handling of the incident on the day; guest experience and safety are of the utmost importance to us.

“Since receiving the complaint via email we contacted Mr. McHugh to offer our support, inform him of our next steps, and offer a full refund.

“All our rides go through daily rigorous safety checks which are documented each morning. The ride received a subsequent thorough safety check immediately after the incident and was certified safe to continue to operate.

“However, as is our standard practice, we are working to understand the circumstances that led to this incident.”