Protesters bid to save the 'heart' of Margate

Protesters attempting to save Britain's oldest rollercoaster have called it "the heart of Margate" and said it needed to be restored to its former glory.

Dreamland announced on Tuesday that the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway is to permanently close due to no longer being viable, prompting an outcry from locals.

Opponents to the move gathered earlier to voice their displeasure, including local woman Susan, who said the attraction was "part of our heritage" and "can't just be dismissed".

Dreamland, which has been approached for comment, previously said it wanted to "reimagine the rollercoaster's purpose" with input from the public.

Susan, one of about 40 people present at the protest earlier, said her family had enjoyed the wooden ride for generations.

"My grandchildren are here with me because they love the Scenic [Railway] too," she told the BBC.

Susan recalled the excitement of the Scenic Railway reopening in 2015, following its closure in 2005 and an arson attack three years later.

She said: "When the fire happened, I donated money for the Scenic [Railway] along with lots of other people, we worked really hard to get the Scenic open... on that first day, when we could go on the Scenic again, I was like, 'Yes, Scenic'."

Both Susan and protest organiser Nick Chamberlain hope the demonstration prompts a rethink of the decision.

Chamberlain said: "It would be very important for Margate, and the whole world, because everybody from around the world knows it... and I know when it comes back, there will be a flood of people waiting to ride it."

Susan insisted the Scenic Railway was "not something to be a structure, to be looked at, it needs to be ridden".

She added: "It needs to have those cheers, and laughter and love - that's what it needs, that's what brings it to life."

The attraction, affected by separate fires in 1949 and 1957 and out of action since 2024 due to a fault, first opened in July 1920.

Dreamland said on Tuesday an "extensive process of consultations and inspections" had been carried out but it was "concluded that, after 100+ years, the ride has come to the end of its current life".

It said it was committed to finding a new long-term plan to reinvent the attraction and for it to be "enjoyed by future generations in a fresh way".

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.