Slip and slide day in Redbourn condemned as a ‘disaster’

Outraged customers are demanding a refund and an apology after a ‘shambles’ slip and slide day.

Hundreds of people endured long queues, bumps and bruises at a Slide The City event at the Hertfordshire County Showground in Redbourn on Saturday.

The event, which was widely advertised on Facebook, was said to be a ‘disaster’ and a ‘rip off’ after users were unable to go down the slide without walking or injuring themselves.

Event organisers allegedly began putting shampoo and baby oil on the slide to enable people to move down more easily.

Local resident Jenny Coyles, 39, and family were among the numerous customers who were disappointed with the day.

She said: “They set this awful slide up on completely flat ground, you had to walk down it. We paid £60 for three of us to have three slides each but we didn’t even use them up. It was a complete shambles!

“People were trying to run and slide but a lot of people ended up crashing into each other.

“I fell over and was a little sore the next day. My arms also really ached from having to move me and my family down the slide.”

Jenny also pointed out that people who paid a premium price for a VIP package ended up queuing during their extended hour which was supposed to be for extra slides.

She added: “The event was so poorly organised, no one knew what they were doing.”

Paul Coyles, Jenny’s husband, accompanied his wife and two children as part of Jenny’s birthday treat.

He said: “They started blaming the lack of gradient on health and safety even though the official video to promote the event shows everyone flying down the slide at high speeds. This is what sold it to me and many hundreds of others who have been completely robbed!”

In personal correspondence on Facebook, the Coyles family were told by Slide The City that they couldn’t be responsible if people didn’t use up all of their slides.

Paul added: “You cannot also blame everyone and accuse them of not trying to have a good time and leaving early. The slide did not work, people gave up and were certainly not going to hang around for five hours in the cold just in case it got better. It did not, by the way.”

Slide The City have yet to respond to the Herts Advertiser’s request for comment but in a statement on their Facebook page, they said: “There have been some complaints about the slope and speed; it’s a fine balance to find a slope that is fun but also safe for all ages.

“As a family friendly event that includes kids; a slope that is too steep could be a safety concern. There was a lot of laughter and smiling faces.”

St Albans district council are looking into the health and safety allegations.