SAFARI park bosses have said "excessive movement" inside the boat on their water ride was the cause of an accident that happened there yesterday. 

The park said its Wild River Raft ride was not "compromised in any way" and will remain open for guests to use after four people ended up in the water when the boat flipped.

A spokesperson for the West Midland Safari Park said: "On Sunday, September 6, at approximately 2.45pm, an incident took place on our popular Wild River Rafting ride which resulted in four guests being treated by the emergency services for minor injuries. 

“Upon entering the final section of the ride, a water vessel containing the four passengers overturned in the shallow water trough due to excessive movement inside the boat.

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Our staff reacted immediately by bringing the ride to a stop and safely removed the four guests, following the strict protocols we have in place.

"All four people were checked over straight away by our first aid responders, and the emergency services were contacted for further review.

“One of the four guests was later transported to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, while the other three guests were able to leave the park at their own accord to travel home.

"We remain in contact with all four guests to check on their wellbeing.

“Following the incident, and after investigating CCTV footage and speaking with our health and safety team, we can confirm that the safety of the ride has not been compromised in any way and it will remain open for guests to use.

"All our rides operate with clear health and safety signage and our staff are given regular training in operational management on a routine basis.

“We would like to extend our thanks to the emergency services for their assistance on Sunday, and to our staff who reacted calmly and quickly to the situation at hand. The Park remains open as normal to the public.”

If you were the people or know the people who were injured on the ride, please get in touch we would love to hear from you. You can reach reporter Jemma Bufton at jemma.bufton@newsquest.co.uk