Latest news with #LoopingGroup
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Girl, 4, who died in Waterworld lagoon is named as inquest opens into tragic death
A FOUR-year-old girl who died at Waterworld has been named as an inquest is opened into her tragic death. Vethavalli Vasu-Dharma, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, passed away at Royal Stoke University Hospital after being found in critical condition earlier this month. 1 Vethavalli Vasu-Dharma, was found unconscious in the aqua park's lagoon area before she later died. The inquest was opened this morning at Stoke Town Hall and has been adjourned until a later date. Laurent Bruloy, executive chairman and co-founder of Waterworld's new owner, Looping Group, said in a statement: "We have all been saddened by the recent tragic accident and extend our deepest thoughts and sympathy to the family of the young girl involved and stand by the Waterworld teams. "We will continue to support the local community." Police were called to Waterworld in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, to reports of a four-year-old girl in critical condition on August 4. Waterworld staff and colleagues from the West Midlands Ambulance Service treated the child at the scene before paramedics took her to hospital for further treatment. Despite the desperate efforts of hospital staff, the four-year-old tragically died a short while later. The tragedy led to Waterworld's temporary closure but the attraction has since reopened to the public.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Waterworld owner issues statement on death of girl, 4
The new owner of Waterworld said he has been 'deeply saddened' following the death of a four-year-old girl just daying after buying the UK's biggest aqua park. Laurent Bruloy, executive chairman and co-founder of the Looping Group, added that his 'thoughts and sympathy' were with the family of the girl who died in hospital on August 4 after she was found unconscious in the lagoon area. The statement was issued to StokeonTrentLive after it was revealed that Looping had bought Waterworld Leisure Limited and Waterworld Leisure Group Limited on July 31 just days before the tragedy. READ MORE: Fears for future of Potteries Centre store as retailer on brink of collapse READ MORE: Waterworld sold in multi-million pound deal days before tragic death of girl, 4 It added that the group had been in discussions with former Waterworld owner Mo Chaudry for a year before the deal was completed for an undisclosed sum. Mr Bruloy said: "The deal was finalised on 31st of July and although Looping Group has been pleased to welcome the park in the Looping group family, we have all been saddened by the recent tragic accident and extend our deepest thoughts and sympathy to the family of the young girl involved and stand by the Waterworld teams. "We will continue to support the local community. I want to thank Mo for his trust and support — Waterworld has been a remarkable family success story that we are excited to develop further." This acquisition marks a new chapter for Waterworld which has been a popular visitor attraction at Festival Park for more than three decades. Since opening in 1989, Waterworld has welcomed millions of visitors. Under the leadership of entrepreneur Mo, who took over the aqua park in 1999, the Waterworld Resort has doubled in size, including the launch of new Adventure Mini Golf and Mini Village attractions. Waterworld is now the Looping Group's fourth leisure attraction in England, the 22nd in Europe and the 7th waterpark in their portfolio. It already runs Drayton Manor and West Midlands Safari Park. A Looping Group spokesman said: "This acquisition enables Looping to strengthen its presence as a dominant force in the leisure sector in the region and form a trio of nearby attractions with Drayton Manor Resort and West Midlands Safari Park already under its ownership. "In line with Looping's mission, each of these parks will still maintain its own identity and positioning. Waterworld will continue to grow and develop with the same entrepreneurial DNA and values that have taken the attraction from strength-to-strength under Mo Chaudry's direction historically, and Looping intend to take the complex ever further." Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it's FREE
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Waterworld park, where four-year-old drowned, sold to new owners
A water park in Staffordshire where a four-year-old girl died earlier this month has been sold in a multimillion-pound attraction in Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent, has been sold by entrepreneur Mo Chaudry to the European leisure giant, Looping Group, which operates 21 leisure parks across Europe, including West Midlands Safari Park and Drayton Manor to Companies House, Mo Chaudry stepped down as director of Waterworld on 31 July, four days before the death of the four-year-old girl.A multi-agency investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding her death. Stoke-on-Trent City Council confirmed its environmental health team was working with the police and venue to "undertake a full health and safety investigation". 'Handing over the baton' While the value of the deal has not been disclosed, Mr Chaudry's family investment company now has a net worth of more than £170m in the wake of the Chaudry, the chairman of M Investment Group, said: "Waterworld has been a huge part of my life and business journey and I am proud of everything we have achieved as a team."I am now handing over the baton to Looping, a world-class operator with the vision and expertise to take Waterworld even further, ensuring the resort has an exciting future."The entrepreneur said the Looping Group had "made a clear commitment to investing in the park and supporting the local community", claiming that staff jobs were secure and visitors could expect "even more exciting developments ahead".Waterworld has seen millions of visitors since opening in 1989. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Drayton Manor theme park celebrates 75th birthday
A popular West Midlands theme park is celebrating its 75th birthday on Manor in Staffordshire started out as a modest family run park with simple rides, rowboats and a petting it is one of the region's top tourist attractions, and to celebrate the occasion, it opened a new museum to share the history of the park with its visitors, with other celebrations taking place across the park's managing director Victoria Lynn said: "When we went back in through the archives we thought: "Why not open a museum and allow those memories to come back to our customers who have been coming here for decades and generations?" "You do see grandparents walking around and they talk so fondly about when they were here in the park when it was just a lake and a couple of rides," she museum will display more than 200 archive photos, as well as artefacts and vintage memorabilia. Other events include fireworks on the first Saturday of each month, and live music and entertainment events. The park opened in 1950, and was founded by George and Vera expanded over the decades, introducing thrill rides like Shockwave in 1994 - Europe's first stand-up rollercoaster - and Stormforce 10 in 2008, Thomas Land was introduced, and the site turned into a full resort in 2011, when its four-star hotel is now part of the Looping Group, a company which is made up of 19 parks in Europe, and has 50 rides and attractions and a zoo. Speaking of the new museum, Ms Lynn said: "I really wanted to pay tribute to George and Vera Bryan, I think they were pioneers in the theme park industry, particularly in the UK."I think they did some fantastic things, their vision was amazing... and the rumour is that they borrowed £6,000 to start this whole thing off."What an opportunity for us to share that and showcase that and appreciate where the park's come from." Ms Lynn said the park's mission was to be a "true family park"."In the 90s it was all about thrills the bigger the better…and since Looping have taken over, we've actually gone back to the roots and said: "We actually want to go for families with kids 12 and under, and grandparents, and things like that." Ollie Carr - head of operations - has an interesting connection with the began working there when he was 16, in the Troublesome Trucks photobooth, and has never he, his mother, wife, and mother-in-law all work at the park."We all say…there's more Carr's at Drayton Manor than there's Kardashians in the Hamptons," he 1991, his mother-in-law went into labour on the Pirate Adventure ride, and went on to give birth to the woman who would become his wife many years pair got married at the park in 2018."We got wedding photos on the carousel," he said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
