Dad Jake McKenna claims shoulder trapped by metal bar at fair

Jake McKenna, 32, said the incident happened when he was on the 'Miami' ride at a fairground attached to The Web Adventure Park in Wigginton Road last month.

The father-of-four said had gone there with his wife Amy and children Noah, Isla, Tabitha and Indie.

He said that when sitting on the Miami ride, he saw that a child to his right was worried because his seat belt was fully extended as if for an adult, and he leaned over to try to help him tighten the belt.

He claimed that a long metal bar, used to hold everyone in place on the ride, then started coming down without any prior warning, trapping him on the shoulder and neck.

The ride's operator said customers were warned to sit in place until the bar was lowered.

A sign which the fair's organisers say warned people about the bar Picture: John Lowery, of Adventure Parks Limited (Image: John Lowery)

Mr McKenna, of Pocklington, said he could feel the pressure pushing his chest onto a piece of plastic dividing his seat from the next one.

"It felt as if it could have severed my shoulder and arm if the pressure had been much greater," he said.

He said he and others started shouted screaming for the ride operator to lift the bar and eventually it was released.

However, it left him with a swollen shoulder and a mark like a burn, and he claimed he later started getting shooting pains in his neck.

Mr McKenna claimed there had been no prior warning that the bar was going to come down but when the ride resumed shortly afterwards, a warning message was played each time the bars were to be lowered.

He claimed the message had not been played on the previous times he had been on the ride that afternoon.

"If I'd heard a warning, I would have sat back in my seat," he added.

John Lowery, who said the ride was operated by Adventure Parks Limited, of which he was a director, said it was aware of the incident involving Mr McKenna and was currently investigating, including a review of CCTV footage.

"We can assure you that as well as high safety standard on our rides within the park, all staff are trained to follow our strict safety procedures as well as having signage in place on all rides," he said.

He said there was signage at the ride advising: 'Please kerep your head back until bar has lowered."

He added that due to 'demands for financial settlement' by Mr McKenna, the firm had passed the matter on to its insurers to deal with  directly, and they had appointed an investigator.