Two teenagers were subjected to a terrifying ordeal at a theme park when their ride broke, a court heard.

The boy and girl were sitting in a gondola on the Zodiac Enterprise ride at Thorpe Park when a support snapped, leaving it dangling.

Both youngsters, from St Leonards, East Sussex, remained inside the car as it repeatedly crashed against the ground.

Woking Magistrates Court heard yesterday that the ride's controller, Abigail Baldwin, pressed the emergency stop button but watched helplessly as the car crashed repeatedly before the ride finally came to a stop.

Two managers from the park, Keith Workman, 46, from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, and Christopher Edge, 58, from Witley, Surrey, each deny one charge of failing to discharge duties under the Heath and Safety at Work Act in connection with the incident in September 2001.

The children were not seriously injured.

The trial continues.