Alton Towers Faces Smiler Crash Prosecution

The owner of Alton Towers is to be prosecuted over last year's rollercoaster crash that left five people seriously hurt, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said. The announcement was made hours after the Staffordshire park's parent firm, Merlin Entertainments, announced a slight increase in annual profits despite a substantial fall in visitor numbers to Alton Towers. The crash was the subject of an immediate HSE probe and was blamed on human error.