Lift fault leaves 40 stuck at top of Blackpool Tower
1 hour ago
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Zoe Toase
,
North West
and
Paul Burnell
,
North West
Rebecca Randle
People were stranded for up to four and a half hours
About 40 people found themselves trapped at the top of Blackpool Tower for hours after its lift broke.
Some are understood to have been stuck into the elevator itself during the four-and-a-half-hour incident on Sunday.
Stranded at over 500 ft (158 m), the visitors were given blankets and offered free food and drink from the cafe until engineers managed to fix the problem.
Blackpool Tower general manager Rob Smith said the sightseers were safe at all times, but apologised for the inconvenience.
Smith added the staff were grateful to the visitors for their "patience and understanding while the situation was resolved".
Charlie MacGillivray, from Welshpool, who was only planning to spend half and hour at the top of the tower with her partner Richard Stevens, praised the staff response.
She said: "After about an hour they came around with and said we could just help ourselves to soft drinks and snacks.
"And then maybe an hour after that they came around with hand warmers and foil blankets for us it was quite chilly up there.
Charlie MacGillivray
Charlie MacGillivray (right) and partner Richard Stevens praised the staff for looking after them
MacGillivray added: "The staff were absolutely fantastic, they kept us updated with the music on, so everyone was singing.
"It was as an experience. Not many people can say that they've used the the chemical potty at the top of Blackpool Tower in an electricity cupboard."
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