Britain's oldest rollercoaster was forced to close after gaping holes appeared in the tracks.

Passengers had to be escorted off the Scenic Railway at Dreamland in Margate after some of the slats were damaged during a ride.

Wooden bars supporting the rails broke due to a “fault”, park bosses said.

They added the ride has been shut since the incident on August 10 while an investigation is carried out.

A video posted by Micah Fagan on X - formerly Twitter - shows the shattered timber track with huge holes in the supporting structure.

In front of the damage, a stationary carriage filled with people can be seen.

Mr Fagan posted the footage with the caption: “Guess we won’t be going on the Scenic Railway next!”

The ride is currently listed as “not in operation” on the park’s website.

Bosses say engineers are carrying out a full investigation and the track will be repaired, but no timescale has been confirmed.

The rollercoaster first opened in 1920 and is Grade II*-listed.

It has suffered several fires and damage through the years, but reopened following a major refurbishment to the whole park in 2015.

A Dreamland spokeswoman said: “On Saturday, August 10, a fault occurred on the Scenic Railway at Dreamland, which damaged pieces of the wooden track.

“The train automatically stopped, as it is supposed to do.

“Dreamland’s standard safety procedures were put in place, overseen by the park manager.

“Passengers were escorted off the ride and prior to continuing their day out, were offered a precautionary check-over by the first aid team on site.

“The ride is currently not in operation while the qualified engineers carry out a full investigation and track damage is repaired.”

Earlier this month, a mum and her daughter were left injured when the park’s teacup ride malfunctioned.

The cup they were sitting in flew off the turntable into a railing.