HEALTH and safety bosses today said they will await the result of an inquest before deciding whether to take action over the death of a Nelson teenager at a theme park.

Salma Saleem, 15, of Manchester Road, who had Down's Syndrome, fell 30ft from a ferris wheel at Gulliver's World, in Warrington, in July 2002.

She died two days later in hospital after suffering head injuries.

Cheshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have both investigated the incident and will give evidence to a coroner's court at an inquest.

A spokesman for the HSE said today: "There was a joint investigation, which was mainly police-led.

"Evidence will go before the coroner's court and then after the inquest the HSE will consider whether there is any further action to be taken.

"The HSE has a right to prosecute under health and safety regulations."

A spokesman for Cheshire Police confirmed the investigating officer had also handed a file to the coroner.

A coroner's officer at Cheshire said a date for the inquest, which will be heard by a jury, was likely to be set in the next few weeks, though it may not be heard until the spring.

At the time of the incident, police said Salma had travelled to the theme park with a number of other disabled children on a trip organised by the Nelson-based Faisalabad Welfare Association Disabled Children's Scheme.

The HSE later confirmed it was investigating several issues, including why she had travelled alone in a carriage on the ferris wheel.

Directors of Gulliver's World said that no equipment failure nor mechanical fault was involved in the incident.