Astonishing pictures of the rollercoaster carriage damaged in the Smiler crash at Alton Towers have emerged on the day the theme park's owners admitted it had breached health and safety law.
The Health and Safety Executive released several images which outline the scale of carnage caused when one carriage, full with riders, collided with a stationary one on the same track.
Photographs show damaged seats and a metal barrier bent backwards which trapped those who were sitting in the front of the carriage at the time.
Five people were seriously injured in the horror crash last June.
Today, Alton Towers operator Merlin admitted it had breached health and safety law after previously accepting responsibility following an internal investigation.
Vicky Balch, 20, and Leah Washington, 18, both had legs amputated, while three others suffered life-changing injuries.
At North Staffordshire Justice Centre, District Judge Jack McGarva warned that the company “may be ordered to pay a very large fine” after entering the guilty plea.
Victims of the crash, including one woman who described the aftermath as a “horror story”, were in court.
Entering a plea on behalf of the operator, Merlin’s counsel Simon Antrobus said: “I’m duly authorised on behalf of the company to enter a guilty plea to the charge.
“That will be subject to a basis of plea and will be for discussion and prior agreement with the prosecution in due course.”
He added: “The company is accepting additional reasonable and practicable measures could have been taken to guard against the safety risk that arose on the day.”
The 500-acre theme park in Staffordshire was shut for four days following the crash.
The Smiler reopened in March this year.
