WATCH: Smiler riders left dangling for 45 MINUTES as Alton Towers ride breaks down
Thrill seekers were left stranded for 45 minutes on a vertical climb of the notorious Smiler rollercoaster after it broke down.
Visitors to Staffordshire's Alton Towers theme park were left stuck on the ride, which was the scene of a devastating accident in 2015, at around 4.30pm on Tuesday.
One of the 16-seater carriages was stranded on a 45-degree slope but riders in a second carriage were left dangling at a 90-degree angle as they made their way up a vertical climb.
The Smiler had ground to a halt after a minor technical issue was picked up by a sensor.
Alton Towers insist what happened was 'completely normal' and that people's safety was 'at no point' compromised.
WATCH: Footage of the incident:
Liz West, a spokeswoman for the theme park, said: “At 16.26 on Tuesday, The Smiler experienced a temporary stoppage as a result of a sensor detecting a minor technical issue.
"This was completely normal and what the ride, as well as others, are designed to do at theme parks across the World. At no point was guest safety compromised."
On June 2 2015 a loaded train collided with an empty test train on the Smiler ride, causing serious injuries to a number of people.
The ride was closed and did not reopen until March 19 last year after a number of additional safety features were added.
Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, which runs Alton Towers, was fined £5 million over the incident.
WATCH: Alton Towers explain the incident
