A MOTHER has relived the day at the seaside which ended in horror when her five-year-old daughter fell from a fairground ride.

Pauline Lloyd told of the terrifying moment she thought her youngest child Zoe had died and of feeling helpless as she stood behind a fence looking at her lying motionless on the ground.

She spoke after deputy district Judge Bell, sitting at Preston County Court, ruled against Pleasureland Limited of Marina Drive, Southport, and awarded £3,000 damages plus costs following the incident.

He said that the ride was probably not being operated correctly but today Pleasureland said it was surprised by the ruling and defended its safety record.

"It was something no parent should ever have to go through," said Pauline, 32, of Peel Close, Blackburn, after a five-and-a-half year legal battle.

Des Draper, of Farleys solicitors, Blackburn, who represented Zoe, said: "The crux of the argument we put before the judge was that the lap bar was a safety device and not a comfort bar. Our argument was that it was a form of restraint that either didn't work or wasn't operated correctly. The judge said that on the balance of probability, the arm was not properly locked on this occasion."

Pauline took Zoe, now 11, and her sister Jayde, 12, on a coach trip to Southport with neighbours and their children in August 1997.

"It was a lovely day, everyone had a great time and we said it was time to go. The kids wanted to go on something else and I said, 'OK, just one more ride.' I wish I had never said that."

Pauline took Zoe and Jayde on a ride called the Big Apple, a mini-roller coaster.

"As we went round all the kids had their hands in the air and then all of a sudden Zoe was hanging out of the car," said Pauline.

"I couldn't hold on to her and she slipped out of my fingers and fell to the ground, banging her head. She was lying there staring into space and I had no idea if she was alive or dead."

Zoe was taken to hospital but was not seriously injured. "It had a dramatic effect on her at the time and changed her personality," said Pauline. "She was such a happy, outgoing child. Then she had nightmares and used to wake up screaming.

"We haven't been on a ride since. We went to Blackpool last year and the three of us just walked down the beach and then played the arcades while everyone else went on the Pleasure Beach."

The money awarded will go into a trust fund until Zoe is 18.

A spokesman for Pleasureland said: "Pleasureland Ltd takes the safety of its guests to be of paramount importance and were extremely surprised by the somewhat sympathetic ruling in favour of Miss Lloyd.

"All the rides and attractions operated by Pleasureland are thoroughly checked each day by competent engineers and all have safety certificates issued by independent consulting engineers."