Beloved UK theme park closes suddenly after 50 years as fans call it a 'real loss'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A popular theme park in the UK has closed with immediate effect after 50 years in operation - as fans and families share their upset over the move.

Bosses at Flambards Theme Park, which is located in Cornwall, announced the sudden closure of the tourist attraction on Monday citing ‘rising costs and a steady decline in visitor numbers’.

The park, which has been operating since 1976 when it was first named Cornwall Aero Park, featured a number of attractions including the Skyraker, the Colorado River Log Flume, Thunderdome and the Human Cannonball. READ MORE: Blackpool announces bumper festive season as Christmas By The Sea returns with free ice rink and 100ft snow slide The park, which featured the mascot Ferdi, also featured a life-size Victoria Village featuring around 50,000 artefacts, as well as a Jurassic Adventure land featuring a number of dinosaur replicas.

In a statement issued to fans at the start of the week via the theme park’s website, bosses wrote: "It is with great regret we have to announce Flambards Theme Park will close its doors permanently with immediate effect. “This difficult decision was reached only after all possible avenues had been exhausted and we fully recognise the impact of this closure on the local community and the sense of loss that it may bring.” The park had originally been saved from closure in 2012, with the current owners behind Flambards investing 'significant and ongoing’ sums to restore the area.