The families of two children injured in a roller coaster accident at a Highland theme park are demanding compensation.

The 12-year-old girls from the Scottish Borders were injured at the Landmark Forest Adventure Park in Carrbridge, near Aviemore. on 12 August 2021.

The families’ lawyer, Digby Brown, said the girls suffered significant whiplash injuries and psychological trauma.

It is assumed that damages in the five-figure range will be demanded.

The park owners stated that they regretted the incident and that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had taken no action against them.

According to the police, there was a “mechanical defect” in one of the wagons at the time of the incident.

Digby Brown said the families, whose names were not disclosed, wanted answers about what happened to the ride.

The father of one of the girls claimed the roller coaster was at its highest point when he heard a “bang” and saw smoke.

He said spectators could only watch as the car plunged “to the bottom” of the ride.

The father said: “After about 30 seconds everything came to a stop and the car was kind of hanging off its side.”

“We could see that our daughters were terribly afraid and in pain, but there was nothing we could do while they were trapped there.

“I really thought my girl was going to die.”

The mother of the second girl said she was terrified and felt helpless.

She said: “Our sincere thanks go to the emergency services and medical staff who cared for our children that day.”

Families said they were frustrated by the lack of information about what happened.

Legal action has been brought against Visitor Centres Ltd, the operator of the theme park.

A Landmark Park spokesman said: “We deeply regret this incident.

“Landmark Forest Adventure Park has fully cooperated with the HSE’s investigation and the HSE has not taken any enforcement action against us. We have also investigated the incident ourselves.”

The company said its own investigation confirmed that the defect that contributed to the accident should have been identified by a specialist contractor during the annual non-destructive testing (NDT) prior to the incident.

It was said that the HSE investigation had reached the same conclusion.

NDT testing is a legal requirement that must be carried out every 12 months according to industry guidelines.

The spokesperson added: “We provided Digby Brown with an independent report in December 2022 confirming the outcome of our investigation. We have not heard from Digby Brown since then and are therefore surprised to be included in the lawsuit, which we will vigorously defend against.”

They confirmed that no restrictions had been placed on Landmark, but that following the accident, they had decided to stop operating the roller coaster and so it was no longer on site.