A SCHOOLGIRL claims that part of her left leg became paralysed after she received an electric shock from a Weymouth Carnival attraction.

Jessica Harris, 15, who starts next month in Year 11 at Budmouth Technology College, claims she received her shock from two wires near a broken light on railings outside the Haunted House funfair attraction.

But a spokesman for the funfair claimed that Health and Safety officers had visited the attraction and given it a clean bill of health.

Jessica, of Somerset Road, Weymouth, said her 12-year-old brother, Glen, and a friend had gone inside the Haunted House and she had been waiting outside for them when the accident happened.

She said: "I had my right hand on a railing, my finger touched a wire and I got a shock which made me stumble.

"I was shaken at the time and I told the man running the ride that I had got a shock from a wire and he said: 'Don't touch it then'.

"About 20 minutes later my left leg began to hurt and an hour later it had swollen so much that I went to the accident department at Weymouth Community Hospital.

"They immediately transferred me to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester because they said I had an irregular heartbeat."

Jessica, who spent one night in hospital, added: "I just hope that the environmental health officers investigate the ride because it could have been a little child touching the wire."

Family funfair lessee Mr M Herbert said the Haunted House lights operated on an interrupted 60 volt current.

He said: "We have had Health and Safety round and they have given us a clean bill of health, so I have no further comment to make."

Jessica's father, Mark, said: "I went round to talk to the people at the Haunted House and they were very unhelpful.

"Environmental health should investigate to make sure the attraction is safe. We won't be taking the matter any further until we find out what they say."

Weymouth and Portland environmental health chief Tony Beeson said: "We are taking this incident very seriously because the girl's symptoms are consistent with an electric shock.

"We have visited the Haunted House and we have looked at the situation there. We found a problem that needed to be dealt with, and was, and the area made safe.

"We were concerned as this was on our property and we were concerned about the extent of the injury that the young girl received.

"We have also been in touch with the Health and Safety Executive about the incident."