Alex Smith
BBC News Online

If engineers had checked the CCTV in the control room, they would have seen the stalled carriage, the court was told.

Legs were crushed in the tangled steel of the wreckage, the judge said.

The passengers were left hanging at 45 degrees, and it took "too long" for emergency services to be called - 17 minutes.

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Stafford Crown Court heard the crash was exacerbated by the design - which left them hanging for four to five hours waiting for emergency services to rescue them. 

The judge said: "It has rightly been the focus of much public interest, they operate on a high duty of public care. Merlin fell far short of standards."

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Sixteen people were injured in the crash last June, including two teenage girls - University of Derby graduate Vicky Balch and Leah Washington - who needed leg amputations.  

Daniel Thorpe, from Buxton, and Joe Pugh were also seriously injured - all are pictured below.

Judge Michael Chambers QC said there was a "catastrophic failure" - and that the crash was "a needless and avoidable accident".

Image source, Facebook

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Alton Towers's operator Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd has been fined £5m after admitting health and safety breaches following the crash on the Smiler rollercoaster.

Image source, @_Ben_Jamming/PA

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Campaigner Marianne Biddle says a letter sent by South Derbyshire District Council appeared to focus on the negatives of the proposal.

Quoting the letter, Ms Biddle said: "As a resident of Newhall and Stanton ward, your councillors are seeking your views so that your voice can be heard as to whether or not you think it is necessary for the district council to agree to the creation of a Newhall and Stanton parish council - please consider the facts."

She added: "How can they [residents] consider the facts when they're not all there?" 

The council says the content of a consultation is prescribed by law and it remained neutral.

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

People living in two Derbyshire villages won't be getting a parish council - after an apparent change of heart during consultations. 

Eighty per cent of people living in Newhall and Stanton were originally in favour of it. 

But at the final consultation, only 41% agreed with it. 

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Richard Silson, one of the Town Team directors, says the battle's been raging for a while.

"The saga...has run for a good long time, many years in fact," he said.

"Funnily enough, Hawes is one of many favourite places as well - I holidayed as a kid in that part of Yorkshire a lot - but it's not quite as high up."

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Buxton has been named as England's "top town" - after a battle over markets with altitude.

A national newspaper named Hawes, in Yorkshire, as England's highest market town, until volunteer group Buxton Town Team pointed out they were more than 250ft higher.

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Interestingly, I've just seen Ms Cunningham's Twitter account, which has her location as Sheffield.

She's also described as a "Sheffield sister" in this article, external by the Sheffield Star.

The plot thickens...

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

The Apprentice returns next week - which means it's time to view the Who's Who of sour-faced, unbearably arrogant and (probably) deluded contestants set to be put through their paces by Lord Sugar.

One of this year's contestants will be Derbyshire's Jessica Cunningham.

Image source, BBC/Boundless/Jim Marks

The 29-year-old is the owner of an online fashion company and the operations director for a PR and marketing agency.  

Her motto is: "There is no competition if you're already winning."  

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

School support staff in Derby are taking another day of strike action today. 

They rejected Derby City Council's compensation payment after many lost out through the equal pay review.

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

An investigation found human error caused the crash - which prosecutors say equated to "a family car of 1.5 tons having collided at about 90mph".

Merlin has been warned to expect a "very large fine".

Image source, Helen Tipper

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Two teenagers were left needing leg amputations, while several others were also seriously injured in the crash on 2 June last year.

I remember the day well - I was covering the inquest of a baby. Two very grim pieces of news...

Image source, Facebook

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Alton Towers operator Merlin Attractions will be sentenced today after admitting health and safety breaches following a crash on the Smiler ride. 

Footage of the accident was released for the first time and can be viewed below.

BBC Travel

Right then, motorists, here's your morning travel update...

There's slow traffic on the A52 Brian Clough Way westbound in Derby at Pentagon Island, slow traffic on the A38 Kingsway southbound in Derby between Markeaton Island and Kingsway Island, and heavy traffic on the A61 Alfreton Road southbound in Little Eaton between Little Eaton Island and Pentagon Island.

Alex Smith
BBC News Online

Morning, everyone.

It's Tuesday morning, but I'm already looking ahead to lunch - as I've got an Aberdeen Angus beef and red onion chutney bloomer (smiles smugly).

Where are you off to for lunch? Go on, think about it. It might lift your spirits.

Email me, or get in touch via Facebook, external and Twitter, external.