Great escape on a roller coaster (From This Is Lancashire)

Great escape on a roller coaster

2:35pm Friday 19th October 2007 in

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The thought of being handcuffed and chained to the latest Pleasure Beach ride and trying to escape while whizzing through the park at 80kph is a frightening thought for many.

But for world renowned escape artist and seven-time Guinness World Record holder David Straitjacket it's a stroll in the park, and so he proved this morning.

The 30-year-old from Manchester escaped from three sets of handcuffs, two padlocks and a combination lock in three circuits of the new £8m Infusion roller coaster.

He said: "I'm really pleased to have succeeded in the challenge, I would have liked to escape in two circuits, but three was plenty good enough.

"It was an unusual combination lock that had me stumped, they are all about feel but when you're whizzing about on the ride and your hands are freezing it's very difficult."

David was inspired to do the challenge as a tribute to David DeVal, an escape artist who had failed to escape from the IrnBru Revolution at the Pleasure Beach 23 years ago, who died last year.

Mr DeVal's family were there this morning to watch the latest attempt, and the locksmith who challenged David, Mick Hanzlik, had also laid down the challenge for Mr DeVal.