Lightwater Valley: Former world's longest rollercoaster to be dismantled

The Ultimate has been closed for several years

A rollercoaster which once held the title of the longest in the world is to be dismantled, its owners have confirmed.

The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley, near Ripon, has been out of service since 2019.

The ride, which is 7,442 ft (2,268m) long, held the title from 1991, when it opened, until 2000.

It was overtaken by the Steel Dragon in Japan which is 8,133 ft (2,479 m) long, but it remained the longest in Europe.

Lightwater Valley's owners Brighton Pier Group PLC said they had "devoted much time and effort" to considering the ride's future.

"The ride has been out of service for some years now and the process of assessing the viability of bringing it back into use was a long one," said the company's chief executive officer Anne Ackord.

She said they were "mindful" of the Ultimate's "nostalgic status" and appreciated many people would have fond memories of it.

"Nevertheless, given both the investment required to bring it up to acceptable standards of safety and the re-imagining of Lightwater Valley as a family-orientated Adventure Park, we have decided to close The Ultimate permanently and remove it from the park," Ms Ackord added.