The Blade pirate ship-style ride has been seen removed from Alton Towers, amid confusion over its future.
The ‘boat’ section and its supporting frame was seen to have been physically removed from the park on Thursday, after several days of planned park closures.
The ride’s operation platform, control booth and motors remain in place in the Forbidden Valley area of the park.
Alton Towers said that the ride was “currently unavailable due to essential maintenance work”.
The swinging ride was one of the original rides from the Staffordshire attraction’s transformation into a modern theme park in 1980.
The Blade remains listed on Alton Towers website at time of writing, but had been out of operation for several weeks prior to its removal.
The ride is typically removed for inspection during the park’s winter closed period, but is not typically dismantled during the park’s operating season.