Alton Towers reopens after thunder-storm disruption

Alton Towers reopened on 4 July with social distancing measures in place

Alton Towers has reopened, after repairing damage caused by a thunder-storm.

The theme park announced it was "closing gradually" on Wednesday, after a control system was damaged, affecting its water supply.

Dozens of visitors had criticised it for not alerting them earlier.

The park's operator says engineers have now fixed the water system and is promising to revalidate tickets for all affected guests.

A message advising people not to visit the park was posted on Twitter shortly after 12:00 BST on Wednesday, leading to angry responses from some visitors, including one who said she had made a three-hour trip to get there.

Maxine Woodward arrived on Tuesday and said there was "chaos" on Wednesday morning.

"Overall, we wasted a journey and holiday days from work," she said.

The resort has apologised for any inconvenience caused and said affected visitors would be offered a chance to return free of charge.

To ensure social distancing, the Staffordshire theme park is currently operating at a reduced capacity.

Visitor numbers on Wednesday had been expected to be about 60% of that of a typical summer weekday.