Chessington World of Adventures has been fined £150,000 after a four-year-old girl fell 14ft (4.26m) and fractured her skull in a ride queue in June 2012.

The company admitted a charge relating to section three of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was sentenced to the fine, plus £21,614 in costs at Guildford Crown Court.

The incident, in which the child fell through a gap in a wooden fence, left the girl with “life-changing” injuries, which left her in hospital for a month with ongoing “extensive rehabilitation and support."

Following the hearing, investigating health and safety inspector Karen Morris said: "This incident shows the importance of implementing robust systems for checking and maintaining all aspects of rides, and this includes the walkways and fencing associated with queuing and where people gather.”