Alton Towers Smiler Crash: Injured Teen Couple 'Were On First Date'

Two teenagers involved in the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash were on their first official date, it emerged today.

Four people were seriously hurt after two carriages on the Smiler rollercoaster collided at the theme park yesterday.

Joe Pugh, 18, a student at Huddersfield University, and his girlfriend Leah Washington were among the victims.

It is not yet known how badly they were both injured, but one of the casualties is reported to have lost both their legs.

Joe also works at Oaks Working Men's Club in his home town of Barnsley, South Yorks.

On Wednesday, the club posted a message on Facebook which read: 'After hearing the news about the terrible accident at Alton Towers it has to come to our attention that a member of our staff was involved.

'We at the oaks Wmc would like to extend our prayers and best wishes in the speedy recovery of our Barman Joe Pugh and his girlfriend Leah Washington.'

A spokesperson for Oaks WMC added: 'As soon as we saw the pictures on the news we knew it was Joe.

'Joe is a nice lad and we hope that he will be ok. We could see on the news that he was on a stretcher but we don't know the extent of his injuries.'

It was claimed today that the couple were on 'their first official date' when they went to Alton Towers on Tuesday.

According to MailOnline, Alice Holmes, a barmaid at the working men's club where Joe works, said: 'It was sort of their first official date'.

'They had just got together last week and they wanted to do something fun together. They walk their dogs together but had only just got together.'

Meanwhile, a law firm in nearby Sheffield, South Yorks, has been forced to apologise after posting a tweet apparenly soliciting business from victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster crash.

The tweet, posted at 17.37 on Tuesday, read: 'Been injured in a roller coaster crash?! We’re experts in personal injury!! #Smiler #AltonTowers'

Twitter user Kieran Jones responded: 'Not sure which is worse, how disrespectful @Broad_Yorkshire are or how embarrassing their promotion of compensation culture in the UK is!â€

Dan Roach added: “What you tweeted was a disgrace. Someone lost a leg in that accident. If that was your son/daughter? Should be ashamed.â€

Broad Yorkshire, which advertises itself as specialists in personal injury and family law, says it operates as a 'virtual service' with'no walls or
boundaries'.

An hour after its original tweet - which has since been deleted - the firm apologised by tweeting: 'Please accept our sincere apologies for any offence caused, none was intended and our best wishes go out to those who were stranded.â€

But Twitter user Roxy responded: 'Broad_Yorkshire no offence was intended?! People have been seriously hurt! You should be closed down! That was a disgusting tweet to post!'