[Ross]

A fire has broken out in the Main Drive station of the Sky Ride, located in the Forbidden Valley area of Alton Towers.

The fire is still going according to the latest reports, with eight crews and fifty personnel from the Staffordshire Fire Brigade battling to put it out. It is thought that the fire is now dying down.

The fire, which started at 7:35pm this evening, is in the roof of the station building in the void between the layers of roofing. Due to the difficulty of getting water into this area, the fire is taking some time to put out. It may also have spread to nearby trees at one point, according to eye witnesses.

The incident caused a power cut in the area, and some guests were stuck on the Monorail after it was stopped due to the levels of smoke.

The Emergency Services were called two minutes after the blaze started, with fire engines and ambulances arriving at the scene at around 8:00pm.

The fire was visible from quite a distance, with smoke and flames clearly seen across the valley. Guests had been directed out of the park soon after it started.

No guests were hurt in the incident, due to the Sky Ride having closed routinely at dusk. The park has been open later than usual during the last two weeks due to their Halloween Scarefest event.

The Sky Ride was installed at the park in 1987, allowing guests to get from one end of the park to another without having to trek long distances.

Alton Towers have said in a statement that the park will open as usual tomorrow, and that the Sky Ride will be out of action for the remainder of the season.