Three people, including children, were hurt after a teacup ride malfunctioned and spun out of control.

Visitors to the Leeds Castle fireworks display were left in shock when a teacup came loose and flew into the crowd of bystanders, watching the ride.

It is thought that a bolt that attached the cup to the ride had sheared off and caused it come apart.

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One mum who was there said she was just minutes away from getting on the ride with her three-year-old daughter but had moved on after she noticed that it kept stopping.

Dee Sturgess of St Mary's Island said: "We were stood at the hook a duck stall when I heard screaming coming from the teacup ride which was just 15 feet away from us, I could see that there was a teacup that had left the ride base and was spinning through the air and it hit the people that were watching the children on the ride, it was stopped by the people that were stood there and the ride continued to move and everyone was screaming.

"Myself and my husband ran over and we could see that there was children underneath.

"I could not believe my own eyes, to see something like that just spin unaided in air and crashing into families where we should have been stood just two minutes earlier was just unthinkable.

"The point where we ran over and we saw children underneath the tea cup before it was lifted up will stay with me forever because at that point I had a horrible feeling that we would lift it up and someone would be crushed underneath.

"I just thought I have to act as quickly as possible.

"One of the little girls looked like she couldn't move, and I dialled 999.

"The poor girl had hit her head and her neck hurt so my husband was just trying to keep her still, she was shaking quite violently so I took my coat off and covered her with it."

An on site medical team treated three people for minor injuries and the ambulance service was not required.

Spokesman for Leeds Castle Gemma Wright said: "Leeds Castle can confirm that an incident occurred yesterday evening before the fireworks event involving a low-level fairground ride falling from its revolving platform.

"As with any event of this size, Leeds Castle has a full team of paramedics on site who arrived within moments of the report of the incident, the ride being but fifty yards from the medical station, as did Leeds Castle’s Chief Executive and Health & Safety Officer who had both been in the control room when the incident was reported.

"Whilst the incident was attended by Kent Police, no other emergency service was called upon and Kent Police departed the site satisfied with the immediate response.

"Three people were directly involved and, while understandably shocked, none sustained significant physically injury and were able to watch the full fireworks display.

"The ride was being operated by an independent contractor who had all the necessary licences and up-to-date safety certificates for the rides at the event.

"The ride will be removed from the site once further inspections have taken place. All other rides are being inspected as a matter of course.

"The display will go ahead again this evening, Sunday 4th November."

The teacup ride has been removed from the fairground and just four rides are in operation today - a carousel, Swan cars, a roundabout of cars and a mini train roundabout.

However, tonight's event is still expected to be a sell out.

The castle has referred the incident to health and safety executive and Maidstone council's licensing team and details of all safety assessments have been made available.

An investigation is under way.