Girl, 6, forced to 'hang on for her life' on fairground ride

A TERRIFIED mum watched in horror as her daughter had to "hold on for her life" after a ride at Neath Fair started before the child had her seatbelt on.

Kayley Lewis also claims the safety bar was not secured on her daughter when the ride started.

She said Ffion, 6, went to go on the ride — which spins around and has carts which bounce up and down — with her friend Judith Newell, 26.

But the fun evening turned into a fright night when Ffion, a Coedffranc pupil, ended up left on the ride on her own without apparently anything holding her in the cart safely.

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The Showman's Guild, which runs the annual fair, has said it is investigating the incident.

Miss Lewis from Skewen said: "My daughter was holding on for her life screaming.

"I was just horrified. It was like something from a horror film. I could hear her screaming. It was the longest 30 or 40 seconds of my life."

Miss Newell, from Cwmbwrla, said they were at the fair at around 8.30pm last Friday. She explained she took Ffion on the ride by herself.

"We stepped onto the ride and the attendant saw us go past and showed us to an empty cart," she said. "We went to the empty cart and I lifted Ffion into there. But I could not work out the seatbelt. The hand bar was in the air and I said, 'hang on I'll go and get the man'. The tannoy came on and I was two steps from the cart."

She said the ride then began.

"It was the most terrifying experience I have ever had.

"I said 'stop the ride'. I could not jump on because the cart swept past me. I would have grabbed her if I could.

"The ride went up and down. The bar was up in the air and she was flying out of her seat. She was holding onto the side and screaming and crying. Kayley went white when she saw me. She could see I was not on the ride with Ffion. She was terrified.

"The ride was on for 30 to 40 seconds until it was stopped. My heart was in my throat. We complained to the steward."

Miss Lewis added: "I feel so lucky that she did not fall and the bar did not hit her. She had a few bruises but it was nothing. We would like an apology. My concern is there might be a fault with the ride because the ride started when the bar was in the air."

A Showman's Guild spokesman said: "An incident has been reported to the section office of the Showmen's Guild which is being fully investigated.

"I cannot comment any further until the investigation has been completed."

gill.roberts@swwmedia.co.uk

01792 514626