8 May 2012 Last updated at 17:19 ET

Man rescued from Oblivion ride at Alton Towers

Riders on Oblivion drop into a vertical tunnel

The Oblivion ride at Alton Towers had to be closed after a man entered a prohibited area and needed rescuing.

A spokesperson for the Staffordshire theme park said a young man managed to get into the ride's tunnel at about 14:20 BST.

The ride was stopped and the surrounding area cordoned off while three fire crews rescued the man.

He was safely removed and taken to University Hospital North Staffordshire as a precaution.

The spokesperson said: "As with all our rides the area surrounding the Oblivion track is securely fenced off and ride operators reacted immediately in line with our well rehearsed safety procedures.

"A full investigation will now be carried out."

The Oblivion ride remained closed following the incident but is due to reopen again as normal on Wednesday.