A WHITE-KNUCKLE theme park ride from which a Gwent schoolgirl fell to her death is to re-open.

Hayley Williams, 16, from Broadway, Pontypool, died after plunging 100ft from the Hydro ride at the Oakwood Theme Park in West Wales last April.

Following the tragic accident a major police and Health and Safety Executive inquiry was launched. Now, the ride's interiors have been replaced and fitted with over-the-shoulder interlocked restraints, and from next month the ride will again take passengers.

Paddy McNamara, managing director of Oakwood, said the park would be re-opening for the 2005 season on March 24 and the Hydro ride would re-open at the same time.

He said: "As with all rides at Oakwood, Hydro ride operation and design is signed off as safe by independent certifying engineers before it is opened to the public.

"We do however acknowledge the need to provide additional reassurance to future riders and are quite sure the new system will do this.

"It was appropriate that Hydro remained closed last year, but we are pleased it will re-open as it has always been an extremely popular ride."

Dyfed-Powys Police said the investigation into the accident was still ongoing, but confirmed the Health and Safety Executive had released the ride back to Oakwood.

The St Albans Comprehensive School pupil had been on holiday with her mother, Beverley, and 13-year-old sister, Anna, at the family's caravan in Pembrokeshire when the accident happened.

She was airlifted to hospital but later died of her injuries.

Billed as "Europe's fastest and wettest water coaster", the 121ft Hydro ride was opened in June 2002 at a cost of 2.4m.

Its 24-seater boat drops down a near-vertical chute into a plunge pool at 50 miles an hour, creating a 45-foot wave.