Victim of Alton Towers crash slams students’ ‘legless’ costume

A YORKSHIRE victim of the Alton towers “Smiler” crash has attacked students who dressed as a rollercoaster for a charity pub crawl, calling themselves 7 Legless.

The group denied the costume for the night out in Nottingham was a reference to last year’s incident in which two teenagers each lost a leg.

One victim, Joe Pugh, from Barnsley, who had been in the front row of the roller coaster with his girlfriend, Leah Washington, when it ploughed into an empty carriage, criticised the costume choice.

Miss Washington, 17, had to have her leg amputated.

Mr Pugh tweeted: “How awful and disrespectful can people get? Disgusting.”

Nottingham University Students’ Union released a statement refuting a link to the crash but apologising to anyone who was offended.

It said: “The costume was in no way intended to reference the tragedy on the Smiler roller coaster at Alton Towers. Its design was based on a traditional concept that has existed for several years and no reference was made to the Smiler by the students involved.

“’7 legless’ was intended to be a pun on the name of the bar crawl ‘7 Legged’ and the state of being inebriated.” It added: “The students involved further wish to apologise unreservedly to those affected by the Smiler incident for any offence or distress they may have unwittingly caused.”

Vicky Balch, then 19, also had to have a leg amputated after the incident on June 2 2015, while Mr Pugh, Daniel Thorpe, and Chandaben Chauhan, who was sitting in the second row, were all seriously injured when their packed carriage was crushed against another car.