THE white-knuckle ride from which a Pontypool teenager plunged to her death was due to reopen today amid reassurances it is now "fail-safe".

Hayley Williams, 16, of Broadway, fell from the Hydro ride at Oakwood Park in West Wales in April last year.

Following the accident the rollercoaster was shut immediately and a police and Health and Safety Executive investigation launched.

But as Hayley's family waits for an explanation as to why she died the ride was today due to be taking passengers.

Following recommendations from the Health and Safety Executive, over the shoulder restraints for each rider have been fitted at a cost of £137,000.

A new safety feature has also been introduced which means if any of the restraints are not properly secured the rollercoaster will not start. Oakwood's managing director, Paddy McNamara, has said there is no doubt the ride is "foolproof and fail-safe."

The £1.7 million ride is billed as "Europe's fastest and wettest water coaster" and has been a major attraction at the theme park, which attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Standing at 121 feet tall, its 24-seater boat drops down a near vertical chute into a plunge pool at 50 miles an hour.

An inquest into Hayley's death has been opened and adjourned. The St Alban's RC High School pupil had been on holiday with her mother, Beverley, and younger sister, Hannah, 13, at the family's caravan when the tragedy happened.