Part of a popular south Essex shopping centre's own Winter Wonderland has been closed off after an "incident" at the weekend where a visitor was rushed to hospital.

Emergency services were spotted at Christmas Wonderland at Lakeside Shopping Centre on Saturday after an incident involving two visitors. Two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and a response car from the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were sent to the scene.

One guest was taken to hospital for further assessment and treatment after the Lakeside team provided immediate first aid following the incident, Lakeside bosses say.

The “affected ride” has been taken out of action and will remain closed while a thorough investigation takes place.

The shopping centre has now issued a statement.

"We can confirm that an incident occurred at Christmas Wonderland over the weekend, which resulted in a member of the public requiring hospital treatment," a Lakeside spokesman said.

"The attraction is operated by a third party and we are working closely with their team to investigate the incident, as a matter of urgency. The safety and well-being of our guests is our number one priority and in the meantime, part of the Christmas Wonderland site has been closed."

A Christmas Wonderland spokesman previously said: "On the evening of Saturday, November 25, an incident occurred at Christmas Wonderland Lakeside involving two guests. Our team provided immediate first aid, and emergency services responded promptly.

"We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the emergency services for their swift and professional response. The affected ride has been taken out of action and will remain closed while we cooperate with the Health and Safety Executive to conduct a thorough investigation.

"Our priority is the safety and well-being of our guests, and we will provide an update as more information becomes available.

"We extend our heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to those affected by this incident and are committed to supporting them during this time."