The brown sludge that flooded the entrance to the new Toxicator ride at Alton Towers was jokingly referred to as a “toxic incident” after it needed to shut down due to a burst pipe
Alton Towers’ bosses closed down the new Toxicator ride on its first day after a sewage leak sparked an apparent faeces flood.
Thrill-seekers turned up to the theme park, near Stoke-on-Trent, on the opening day of the 2025 season, hoping to be the first to sample the latest attraction – the Toxicator. Bosses shared plans for the ride on January 13 of this year.
The Toxicator stands at 78ft tall and is the only top spin in the world that’s elevated above ground level, creating an experience where spectators can watch the ride from under it. But rollercoaster fans were forced to temper their excitement after an issue emerged on Saturday.
Disgruntled customers took to social media to complain to Alton Towers about the incident. Ben Keable said: “@altontowers what is going on today?
“Been here seven hours been on four rides. Been forced to stand in human toilet waste in queue for the Toxicator after 70 minute wait for the ride to close. Currently four rides open. This is a disgrace. What compensation do we get for this?”
Another added: “Alton Towers just had a toxic event on their new toxicator ride started spraying raw sewage onto people in the queue.”
X/Twitter user Jack Harrison added: “not really their (Alton Towers) fault is it..sure they want everything running smooth. Don’t think they’ve just decided to let a load of Sewage out to close rides.”
The brand new ride was forced to close when eyewitnesses claimed to spot a brown liquid leaking at the entrance of the ride. An official at the theme park told Mirror affiliate the Manchester Evening News that the ride needed to be temporarily paused for a clean-up operation. The official added: “People were allowed back on in less than an hour.”
Eyewitnesses said the leak prompted an “evacuation of the ride area”. Another jokingly described the shut down as being due to a “toxic incident”.
An Alton Towers spokesperson replied to a guest, adding: “Regrettably, Toxicator has paused operation due to a burst pipe close to the ride. We apologise to fans for any inconvenience caused. We do not expect the ride to re-open today. Please check the Alton Towers Resort App for further updates.”
Before its launch, some theme park fans already compared the Toxicator to the former Ripsaw ride, an old favourite that made its debut in 1997 and was around for about two decades. But bosses at the theme park have been quick to defend the Toxicator as a completely different experience.
The Toxicator flips riders back-to-back and suspends them face-down over a pool of what it brands a pool of toxic extra-terrestrial sludge. It is located in the Forbidden Valley area, which the theme park says is a “battleground of otherworldly aliens, suspicious scientific experiments and military might,” according to Alton Towers’ website.
