Kay Burley: More than 1,100 people have complained about the reporter's Alton Towers coverage

Ofcom has received 1,162 complaints over the presenter's interview with Nick Varney after crash

Kay Burley has been accused of being confrontational (Rex Features)

Ofcom has received 1,162 complaints after Kay Burley's interview with the chief executive of the company that owns theme park Alton Towers.

The media regulator said on Wednesday that 1,162 complaints had been submitted over the way Sky News broadcaster Burley interviewed Nick Varney, chief exective of Merlin Entertainment.

The Guardian quotes a spokesperson as saying: "Ofcom has received 1,162 complaints about Kay Burley’s interview with Alton Towers chief executive, Nick Varney, on Sky News on 3 June."

Ofcom will assess the complaints before deciding on an investigation.

The crash at Alton Towers on 2 June left 16 people injured. Customer Leah Washington, 17, subsequently had her leg amputated above the knee.

Burley was criticised for what some believed to be her aggressive interview style when talking to Varney.

"People were seriously injured, and there are suggestions that someone's lost a limb as a result of what happened at Alton Towers," she said. "Has somebody lost a limb on that ride?"

When Varney said that Merlin Entertainment was "deeply sorry" for the accident, Burley responded saying that she was "sure [the family] are not interested in your sympathy at this stage."

However, Burley was quick to defend herself after the interview, saying that she was sure Varney would recover.

Viewers of the interview following last week's accident were critical of Burley's performance.

However, other have argued that a man would not be criticsed for being assertive.