Alton Towers Smiler crash caused by 'human error', ride will be reopened

Five people were seriously injured in the incident

The Smiler ride at Alton Towers will remain shut until the Health and Safety Executive lifts its prohibition notice (Getty)

The crash at Alton Towers in June that seriously injured five people was caused by "human error" and The Smiler ride will reopen next year, the theme park operator has said.

Merlin Entertainment said it had completed an internal investigation into the incident which saw Leah Washington and Vicky Balch undergo leg amputations.

It found that the ride's safety control system was manually overridden "without the appropriate protocols being followed", and that there were no technical or mechanical problems with the ride itself.

Vicky Balch lost her right leg in the Alton Towers crash in June

Leah Washington was among five riders seriously injured in the crash (Facebook)

A spokesperson for the Theme Park said that following the crash, a number of changes to safety measures had been put in place "to ensure that an incident of this nature can never happen again".

"On re-opening, The Smiler ride will also incorporate an extensive set of new safety measures, including technical improvements and enhanced training," a statement read.

The park did not specify precisely when the ride, which has been closed since the incident, would re-open - but it could be up and running when the whole park opens its gates following its winter break in early 2016.

As well as Ms Washington, 17, and Ms Balch, 20, 18-year-old Joe Pugh suffered two broken knees in the crash, Daniel Thorpe, 27, had a collapsed lung and fractured leg and Chanda Chauhan, 49, suffered internal injuries to her stomach and liver.

In all, 16 people were injured on the ride when the carriage they were in collided with another that had come to a halt on the track.