Shocking pictures of the rollercoaster carriage crushed in last year's Smiler crash have been revealed for the first time as the Alton Towers owner admitted health and safety breaches over the disaster.

Vicky Balch, 20, and Leah Washington, 18, both had to have a leg amputated after the horror smash at the Staffordshire theme park on June 2 last year, and three more ride goers were seriously injured.

Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, which owns the park, now faces paying a fine that could stretch into millions after pleading guilty to the rule breach in the landmark case at North Staffordshire Justice Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Scroll down for videos

This crumpled rollercoaster carriage shows the true horror of the Alton Towers Smiler crash. Ride goers were trapped in the carriage for more than four hours as rescue workers tried to free them from their seats. Today Alton Towers admitted safety breaches over the crash, which resulted in two young women each losing a leg

The trapped ride goers then had to wait more than four hours to be freed from the crumpled carriage while rescue workers battled to reach them as they sat 25ft up in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees, pinned in by the mangled metal

Smiler crash victims Vicky Balch (left), Leah Washington and Joe Pugh (together, right) were in court today as Alton Towers owner Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd admitted health and safety breaches. Both of the two young women lost a leg in the horror smash in June last year

Chandaben Chauhan (right) suffered internal injuries when she was hurt on The Smiler during a girls' day out with her two daughters, also pictured. She said today the aftermath of the crash was 'like a horror movie'

Daniel Thorpe, a friend of Miss Balch, was also one of those who was badly injured on the ride

It also accepted that more could have been done to keep the ride goers safe ahead of the crash, which was caused by human error when staff manning the ride 'overrode' the controlling computer system's actions to stop the £18 million flagship attraction.

Daniel Thorpe, Joe Pugh, and Chandaben Chauhan were also badly hurt in the crash at the theme park in Staffordshire when the carriage they were riding in smashed into a stationary carriage on the same track.

The trapped ridegoers then had to wait more than four hours to be freed from the crumpled carriage while rescue workers battled to reach them as they sat 25ft up in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees, pinned in by the mangled metal.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Chauhan, 50, - who suffered internal injuries and has never spoken publicly about the incident - told the BBC that it was like 'a horror movie'.

'We were in a horror movie, with flesh and blood, everything and we had to endure that for four or five hours,' said Ms Chauhan, who had visited the park on a girls' day out with her two daughters.

'Although we weren't cut, and our scars were invisible, that stayed with us.'

She added: 'There were moans, crying, screaming; then suddenly there was an eerie silence and that was so haunting.'

The photographs show how the devastating impact pushed the front bumper of the carriage up against the seats where the riders legs would have been

Alton Towers accepted that more could have been done to keep the ride goers safe ahead of the crash, which was caused by human error when staff manning the ride 'overrode' the controlling computer system's actions to stop the attraction

The Health and Safety Executive told the court today that there had been an 'absence of a proper settled system' for staff to work through problems on the ride as and when they occurred

The court heard that staff working on the ride had not spotted that there was a stationary carriage on the track

One of her daughters, Vanisha Singh, 30, suffered broken ribs and a swollen lung and said her young children are now suffering from separation anxiety as a result of seeing her in hospital after the crash.

'The fear of sitting there, and I kept thinking "we're going to tip, we're going to tip, we're going to tip, it's going to flip off the rails and we're going to fall right on our heads".'

Mr Pugh, 19, who like Miss Washington is from Barnsley, had both kneecaps shattered and Mr Thorpe, 28, from Buxton, Derbyshire, as is Miss Balch, suffered a collapsed lung.

At the hearing, District Judge Jack McGarva warned that the £250 million-a-year turnover company faced 'very high culpability' over the incident and 'may be ordered to pay a very large fine'. They also face paying out millions more to the victims.

Pictures of the carriage involved in the crash were released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following today's hearing.

The photographs show how the devastating impact pushed the front bumper of the carriage up against the seats where the riders legs would have been.

Further images showed workers from the HSE removing the damaged carriages from the rollercoaster site for testing.

Today, the court was told that:

The crash was down to human error and staff had 'overrode' the computer that controls the ride to stop it running

Staff had not seen there was a stationary carriage on the Smiler track

They overrode the block, and sent a carriage around the track, where it smashed into the stationary carriage

Ridegoers were trapped for up to five hours before they could be rescued

They were in 'indescribable' pain and their lives have been 'turned upside down'

Systems in place to control the ride were 'not good enough' and Alton Towers accepted extra measures could have been taken to guard against the safety risk

Park owners face a 'very large fine' and there is 'no limit' to the figure that could be imposed

Mr Pugh and Miss Washington arrived at court this morning for the short hearing, hand in hand, and Miss Balch, Mr Thorpe and Ms Chauhan were also present, sitting into the public gallery with their families.

Entering a plea on behalf of the operator, Merlin’s counsel Simon Antrobus said: 'I’m duly authorised on behalf of the company to enter a guilty plea to the charge.

'That will be subject to a basis of plea and will be for discussion and prior agreement with the prosecution in due course.'

He added: 'The company is accepting additional reasonable and practicable measures could have been taken to guard against the safety risk that arose on the day.'

Further images showed workers from the HSE removing the damaged carriages from the rollercoaster site for testing

The damaged carriage is hoisted from the track in the days after the crash that injured a total of 16 people

HSE workers test the Smiler track after the crash. The ride was immediately shut down in the aftermath of the collision and only reopened last month

The prosecution has been brought by the HSE, which outlined its case against the park's bosses during the hearing.

Bernard Thorogood, for the HSE, said its case was that the ride's operatives 'overrode' the controlling computer system's actions to stop the ride, and that there had been an 'absence of a proper settled system' for staff to work through problems on the ride as and when they occurred.

He told the court: 'The Smiler rollercoaster came into operation in 2013 in May and in our schedule ran from then until the time of the accident at the beginning of June 2015 in a way that was not as safe as it should have been.

'The mechanical and computer-related operation of the ride were found to be without any fault at all.

'It was a mechanically sound computer-operated ride which required human intervention at many points during operation.

The crash scene. Today the court heard that ride goers waited to be rescued for more than four hours, many of them in 'indescribable pain'

Pictured are rescue workers freeing passengers from the ride after the crash in June last year

'There was an absence of a proper settled system for staff to work to in certain situations and one of those was that when one of the up-to-five trains came to a halt around the system in one section there was not a good enough system for staff to interact with that problem and a proper procedure to sort it out.

'The upshot was that on June 2 although the computer-controlled system was correctly showing one of the farthest parts of the ride, the Cobra Loop, there was a stationary train, staff didn't see it and there wasn't a system to see it.

'They overrode the computer block on the system and sent the train with some of those sitting here today around the ride.

Ian Crabbe, divisional director of the Alton Towers Resort, (left) and Merlin safety and security director, Dominic Wigley (right) arrive at court

'As a result those in the train were injured when their train came into collision with the stationary train.

'Those in the front row suffered the greatest physical injuries and were life-changing in many cases.

'The people remained in the air for four to five hours before effective rescue could be carried out.

Merlin company secretary Matt Jowett (left) and Dominic Wigley (centre holding folder)

'They were, in many cases, in indescribable pain and their lives and their families' lives have been turned upside down.'

Mr Thorogood said the serious nature of the injuries suffered and the potentially 'very high level of fine' the case may attract, given Merlin was a '£250 million-a-year turnover' company, meant the case should be moved to a higher court for sentence.

District Judge McGarva agreed and, giving his decision, warned that Merlin 'may be ordered to pay a very large fine'.

He said: 'This is an extremely serious case where a number of people sustained life-changing injuries.

'This is a case which involved a very high culpability on the part of the defendant in my view and exposed the victims to a high likelihood of very serious harm.

'This is a case involving a large organisation which may be ordered to pay a very high fine.

'Clearly this falls into a category of requiring allocation to the crown court - and that's what I'll do.'

He added: 'There is no limit to the extent of the harm a court could impose.'

The case was adjourned until a date to be fixed at Stafford Crown Court.

The park operators had previously accepted responsibility for the crash after carrying out its own internal investigation following the incident.

Some of the victims are pursuing civil cases against Merlin, but a spokesman told MailOnline that the case was still in its 'early days'.

The victims are understood to be receiving interim payments from Merlin, to cover items such as medical care and prosthetic, where needed, but the sum they could eventually receive will be calculated according to their life-long needs, which are still being assessed.

Neil Craig (centre) from the Health and Safety Executive, which brought the prosecution, said after the hearing that he hoped today’s outcome would help those affected by the crash in their recovery

Miss Balch (pictured) arrives at court this morning with members of her family

It has previously been estimated that Merlin could have to pay out seven-figure sums to those affected.

Alton Towers is believed to be the first major theme park in the UK where the owners have admitted a criminal breach of health and safety laws.

In all, 16 people were injured in the collision on a low section of the ride, which can reach speeds of up to 50mph and has 14 loops.

Speaking outside the court, Paul Paxton, Partner at Stewarts Law, which is representing a number of the seriously injured victims, gave a statement on behalf of the families.

'Going back to that notorious day in June, my clients sustained significant and life changing injuries, but it's important to say from a family perspective that today was certainly not about victory or retribution,' he said.

'But it was a very important step, a psychological milestone along the way.'

Miss Washington (left with Mr Pugh) and Miss Balch (right) lost a leg in the crash. A lawyer acting on their behalf, and that of the other victims, said today's outcome was a 'very important step, a psychological milestone along the way'

He added: 'The physical injuries will last forever.

'This wasn't about punishment, it was about trying to find out what was wrong that day, and what were the facts that led up to that accident, to ensure it won't happen again - not only on that ride but other rides around the country and in Europe.

'It is perhaps not surprising that there would be a guilty plea.

'Here are young people who have gone on a fun day out and have come away with an amputation.

'Now we won't have to go through the necessity of a trial and the families are very grateful to the Health and Safety Executive for the manner in which they prosecuted and the sensitive way they dealt with the families.'

Victims Miss Balch (left) and Miss Washington (right) could stand to receive millions in compensation

Vicky Balch, 20, who had to have her leg amputated after the horror crash was also present for the hearing

Victims Leah Washington and Joe Pugh arrived at court this morning for the short hearing, hand in hand

Neil Craig, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands said: 'We welcome the guilty plea.

'Merlin has acknowledged it failed in its legal duty to protect people on The Smiler ride which these people had a right to expect.

'They went for a fun and carefree day out which ended in profound distress for all involved and they have been left with life-changing injuries.

'We hope this first milestone will help those affected to continue their recovery from this tragic incident.'

Merlin Attractions admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which states: 'It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.'

The 500-acre theme park in Staffordshire was shut for four days following the smash while The Smiler, which is the world's first 14-loop rollercoaster, only reopened in March this year.

Victims including Miss Balch and Mr Pugh questioned the decision to reopen the ride.

In all, 16 people were injured in the collision on a low section of the ride, which can reach speeds of up to 50mph and has 14 loops

Miss Balch, said prior to its reopening: ‘It’s only been nine months. It feels like money comes before the people on the ride.’

Mr Pugh added: ‘I would have preferred for it to stay closed.’

In a statement issued after the HSE announced its intention to prosecute in February, Merlin said: 'We have co-operated fully with the Health and Safety Executive throughout their investigation while continuing to support those who were injured in the accident.

'The company completed its own investigation and published the results in November, accepting responsibility for what happened. We have also kept the HSE fully informed of the subsequent actions that we have taken to ensure that something like this cannot happen again.'

The victims who went on a 'fun day out', but came away with life changing injuries

They had gone to Alton Towers for a fun day out, but the lives of Leah Washington, Vicky Balch, Daniel Thorpe, Joe Pugh, and Chandaben Chauhan were changed forever by the Smiler crash.

Student Miss Washington, 18, had to have her left leg amputated after the horror crash at the Staffordshire park, while her boyfriend Mr Pugh, 19, saw both of his knees shattered on impact.

Dancer Miss Balch, 20, was also forced to have her right leg amputated below the knee three weeks after the June 2 incident, while her 28-year-old friend Mr Thorpe and fellow ride goer Ms Chauhan were also seriously injured.

Mr Thorpe, Miss Washington, Mr Pugh, and Miss Balch (left to right) with fire officer Peter Dartford (centre), who headed the team that helped save them

Miss Washington and her boyfriend Mr Pugh, both from Barnsley, had only recently started their relationship and had gone to the park for one of their first dates.

Their parents discovered they had been injured in the horror crash after seeing news footage and struggling to get hold of them.

Miss Washington nearly died twice in the wreckage of the rollercoaster while rescuers battled to treat her catastrophic injuries.

She lost nearly a quarter of her blood while trapped on the ride, and her life was only saved using military techniques designed to treat bomb-blast victims, and by emergency blood transfusions rushed to the theme park by helicopter.

Mr Pugh also had to be taken to hospital to be treated for severe leg injuries after the metal safety bar on the ride shattered both of his knees on impact

After she was finally freed from the wreckage, around four hours after the initial impact, she was taken to hospital and rushed into surgery - where medics were forced to amputate her left leg.

Meanwhile, Mr Pugh also had to be taken to hospital to be treated for severe leg injuries after the metal safety bar on the ride shattered both of his knees on impact.

Instead of starting at university, Miss Washington is now living in a bungalow suited to her needs with her family, after they were forced to leave the home where she grew up.

She underwent weekly personal training sessions and physio appointments to increase her strength.

Initially, she could only use her prosthetic leg for a few minutes, but after hours of physiotherapy can now keep it on all day.

Mr Pugh also had to learn to walk again, and together the pair have donated almost £7,000 to the nurses at Royal Stoke University Hospital, Staffordshire, who helped treat them.

The couple, who are still together, have previously recalled how even as they waited in line for the ride, it appeared to be beleaguered with 'technical difficulties'.

Prior to them being allowed to board, they told how empty carriages were being run around the track.

They even spoke to fellow victims Miss Balch and Mr Thorpe about the 'technical issues' prior to the crash, discussing how they had heard the ride had been 'breaking down a lot'.

Miss Balch, from Leyland, Lancashire, was forced to have her right leg amputated below the knee three weeks after the incident, after spending weeks in pain.

She underwent six operations in the days after the crash, before medics said the only option was for her leg to be amputated. She has since taken her first steps unaided since she was given a new motorised bionic leg, made by German company Otto Bock.

The £70,000 prosthetic has allowed her to start exercising again and attempt to return to the life which was shattered by the horrific crash.

Earlier this month she revealed that she had a new boyfriend, after meeting him on dating app Tinder, and spoke about her new leg on ITV's Good Morning Britain today.

Miss Balch, from Leyland, Lancashire, was forced to have her right leg amputated below the knee three weeks after the incident, after spending weeks in pain

Mr Pugh and Miss Washington have donated almost £7,000 to the nurses at Royal Stoke University Hospital, Staffordshire, who helped treat them

She told presenter Susanna Reid: 'It's a lot more natural, I've got a lot more energy so I can do a lot more things, like go to see my friends, just do normal things that a normal 20 year old would do.'

Talking about her recovery and learning to walk again, she added: 'It's not easy some days, I have really bad days but obviously everyone around me and even people I don't know support me so much. I don't want to let anyone down. I think I'm scared of letting people down more than anything.'

Miss Balch accused the theme park of putting 'money before safety' after it reopened the ride last month.

She said: 'I've never wanted it to reopen, that's just the obvious reaction. I'm not angry or bitter about it because I understand it's a business and it's what they have to do.

'It cost a lot of money and they have to reopen it so it is something that needed to happen. I just didn't think it'd be so soon, it's only nine months, it isn't a very long time.'