Alton Towers Victims Leah Washington And Joe Pugh Pictured On A Date, First Outing Together Led To Amputation

Alton Towers victims Leah Washington and Joe Pugh have been pictured enjoying a meal together, a little over a month since they were both seriously hurt during their first date.

Pugh posted a photo of the outing on his Facebook page over the weekend and it has since received over 400 likes and dozens of comments congratulating them on the "beautiful photo of you both".

The couple were among five seriously hurt when the Smiler ride carriage they were in collided with an empty one that had come to a halt on the track ahead of them on June 2.

Joe Pugh and Leah Washington have been pictured enjoying a meal together for the first time since the Alton Towers accident

Washington, who had her left leg amputated just above her knee, has received some support from unlikely quarters, with Britain's most notorious prisoner, Charles Bronson, sending her a get well soon card.

The gesture followed reports that the 17-year-old had posted a picture of herself standing strong following her operation, surrounded by friends and supporters. Fellow victim Vicky Balch, 20, had her right leg amputated below the knee after seven operations to save it just over a week ago.

This month the teenager was pictured with friends and supporters for the first time since having her leg amputated

Leah Washington, 17, lost a leg in the Alton Towers Smiler crash

Bronson sent Washington a handmade card, which featured a smiling dragon with the words “It’s nice to be nice!” and the message “Leah, hope you get well soon, x’, signed under his new surname Salvador.

The 62-year-old hopes Washington will be able to sell the card to raise funds for her future treatment, the Mirror reported.

Bronson’s penpal Darren Holdcroft told the newspaper the convict had already donated two pieces of artwork and a signed, self-written book to four-year-old leukaemia sufferer Frankie Allen.

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He said: “Frankie's dad asked me if I could mention it to Charlie to see if he could help Leah and her family with any future fundraising so he spent a day creating this get well soon piece for her.

Charles Bronson (now Salvador) sent Washington a 'get well' card

Bronson was jailed for seven years in 1974 for armed robbery but has been locked up for much of the time since then following a string of violent incidents including assault, hostage-taking and damage.

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His supporters insist he is a changed man, having undergone therapy behind bars.

Bronson, whose real name is Michael Gordon Peterson, was jailed for life in 1999 for taking a prison art teacher hostage for two days.

A judge ordered him to serve a minimum of four years but he has been regularly been refused parole and was kept in an isolation cell at HMP Wakefield known at the Hannibal cage.