Alton Towers victim's joy at new bionic limb

Vicky Balch, from Leyland, had to have her right leg amputated after the carriage she was on smashed into another car at the Staffordshire theme park in June.

Her new prosthetic, called the Genium X3, cost £60,000 and allows her to walk unaided, run and cycle. It uses sensors to adapt to her movements and walking style.

The 20-year-old, describing the leg, made by German company Otto Bock, as “very clever”, told interviewer Susanna Reid on TV’s Good Morning Britain: “It is a lot more natural. I have a lot more energy. I can do a lot more things like go and see my friends - just do normal things that a normal 20-year-old would do.”

Vicky has admitted she has had “really bad days” during her recovery and that there were moments when she did not know if she would walk again. But heartened by the prospect of the new limb she signed up to a dating app finding romance with Jordan, 24.