Alton Towers 'misled public'

Celebrity disc jockey Tony Blackburn hosted a concert at the party

Theme park Alton Towers has been criticised by advertising watchdogs after it closed for two days to stage a corporate party.

British Telecom paid an estimated £1m to hire the Staffordshire attraction to reward its longest-serving employees and their families.

More than 32,000 people had free use of the park over the weekend of 28 and 29 June.

But the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint from a Cheshire family who decided to visit the attraction, but were met with signs on a motorway roundabout informing them it was closed for the weekend.

Safety regulations

The family, who had travelled to the park to celebrate a birthday, told the ASA that marketing material for the attraction stated it was open every day between 5 April and 2 November.

Tussaud's Theme Parks, which owns Alton Towers, told the ASA health and safety regulations meant they could not exceed 30,000 guests in the park.

"To avoid disappointment, the advertisers felt it was in the interest of guests to communicate that the park was closed for 28 and 29 June, which they did through the internet and by placing advertisements in the media," the ASA said.

Alton Towers said that visitors who were not with BT who arrived at the theme park during the two days were let in, although they were warned it might be busy.

The ASA decided that, despite the efforts to inform the public about the closure, the claim that the park was open every day was "misleading" and upheld the complaint.

The party included an open-air concert hosted by disc jockey Tony Blackburn and featured bands such as Madness, Status Quo and Abba tribute act Bjorn Again.