HEALTH and safety inspectors are investigating after a teenager was thrown from a fairground ride at a carnival near York.

The girl, understood to come from the Tadcaster area, was enjoying a visit to Copmanthorpe Carnival just over a week ago when the incident happened during a ride on the Cliffhanger.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police, who were called to the scene and impounded the ride, said she was thrown out when the harness broke.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it had launched an investigation into the incident, and tests had been carried out on the ride equipment.

He said the ride had been returned to the owners, whom he declined to identify, while the HSE awaited the findings of an engineer’s report. He was unable to say whether the ride could be used again before the investigation had been completed.

“An inspector has spoken to the family of the girl about the circumstances of the accident,” he said, adding: “Inquiries are ongoing.”

Martin Pickard, the chairman of Copmanthorpe Carnival, said he understood the girl had been released from hospital after treatment.

He said he had spoken to the parents of the youngster and been told she had fortunately suffered only cuts and bruises.

Mr Pickard said the ride had been introduced last year to make the carnival more interesting for teenagers, as the other rides had tended to be for younger children.

It had been a big success and operated without a problem, and so it had been booked for this year’s carnival.

He said it had been inspected only three weeks earlier and given a certificate to show it was fit to operate.

He said after the girl fell, the ride had been halted for the rest of the afternoon.