Cornish theme park announces closure of rides

Sky Force is one of the rides to be closed, Flambards said

A visitor attraction in Cornwall has announced it is closing several of its rides.

Flambards Theme Park in Helston said the "ongoing shortage" of specialist parts for maintenance had forced the closure of rides including four of its major ones.

It announced a temporary closure from 10 June until 1 July as the machinery was removed and a reduced ticket price when reopened.

A spokesperson for Flambards told the BBC there was no additional information they could provide.

UK-wide 'challenge'

In the post on Flambards website, the company said: "After many years of faithful service, we are sadly retiring a number of our thrill rides.

"This includes the Thunderbolt, Sky Swinger, Sky Force and the Hornet Rollercoaster, some of which will leave the site shortly."

It said the decision was "not made lightly" but that the safety of its guests "is and always will be our top priority".

Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, told the BBC: "We knew that the recovery of the visitor economy, including attractions, would take a long time after lockdown was lifted.

"Tourism reopened to increased inflationary costs, huge energy bills, and a cost-of-living crisis with visitors spending less and visiting less frequently.

"The challenge to get back visitor numbers back to pre-pandemic levels and to profitable sustainability is UK-wide.”

Flambards said the decision taken to remove the rides was "not made lightly"

Local people had been speculating about the possible reasons for the changes at the park.

Helston-based car valeter Mike Hill said: "I think they probably just haven't got the funds to repair the rides and bring them up to safety standards."

Resident Chris Jolly said: "I would say selling off your biggest rides is not a good sign, really."

He added that the theme park had employed many young people over the years who would be affected if the site was to close.

On social media the announcement received more than 1,500 comments in less than 24 hours, with people sharing their anger, disappointment and memories of the theme park.

The theme park said it looked forward to welcoming visitors back when it reopened next month for "an exciting summer season."