Thumbs up for Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park has come out top in a survey of British theme parks published today. Nine parks across the country were tested for quality, family appeal, value for money - and the dreaded queues.

Thorpe Park in Surrey was the strongest performer, closely followed by Legoland and Alton Towers.

Families sent to test the parks praised Thorpe Park for its white-knuckle rides, which appeal to older children and adults. Despite some positive findings, the research criticised the high cost of visiting theme parks.

Alton Towers was the most expensive, charging up to £20 per child and, in many, a small soft drink cost well over £1. Simone Collins, from the Consumers' Association which carried out the survey, said a day at a theme park could easily cost a family more than £100. Children were generally charged as an adult from the age of 12 or 13.

The study found theme parks often charged extra for rides on top of entry fees and rarely gave refunds if rides were out of order.

Overall, Camelot Theme Park in Lancashire scored the lowest.