Thrill seekers on a Blackpool ride were left stuck in the air after a new ride broke down - on the first day it opened to the public.
The Star Flyer - relocated to the Promenade in front of Blackpool Tower - opened to the public for the first time on Sunday (November 21).
Hours after opening, there was an apparent issue, which saw passengers suspended in the air.
Onlookers suggested the disruption was caused by a power cut and took pictures and videos which were posted to social media, reports Lancs Live.
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It is thought the occupants of the ride were stuck for around eight minutes before they were lowered down to safety.
Local photographer Philip Downie was taking pictures of the attraction at the time it broke down.
He began a Facebook Live when he realised the ride was stuck in the air which went on for more than seven minutes as the ride was slowly lowered to the ground.
He can be heard saying: "The power has just gone off on this ride that's on the Promenade, I think everything else is still okay. The big wheel is still going round. Nice sunset tonight but yeah, if you're afraid of heights and you were stuck up there now you wouldn't be very happy.
"The music was playing and everyone was having a good time and then the power went off."
He added: "I think it's the first day this has been on today, so may be some teething problems."
Philip could also be heard joking that they 'need to put 50p in the meter.'
It comes after the ride was last week dismantled from its initial location on St John's Square, outside the Winter Gardens, on orders from Blackpool Council.
The ride, which is 210ft tall and almost half the height of Blackpool Tower, came to the seaside resort as the main attraction for the Winter Gardens Wonderland festival.
Last week, the council said: "As stated previously we have been working with the ride’s operators to find a suitable alternative site. We are pleased to be able to announce that this ride will now go ahead at its new location - the tower festival headland.
“The ride will be positioned next to the ice rink and will give the rider spectacular views across the town. It’s new position will compliment the Winter Garden’s Wonderland and Christmas By The Sea village and all the wonderful Christmassy things they have to offer to all our residents and visitors.”
Responding to Sunday's incident, John Westhead, head of operations at Winter Gardens Wonderland, said: "The ride was not operational for a matter of minutes and fully open for around nine hours on the day, all people were brought down safely by the rides manual system and existed with ride within a few minutes.
"All people went back on the ride straight afterwards and had a fantastic time.
"This was a very minor issue in what was a fantastic day for Blackpool with many thousands of people coming and supporting the Star Flyer ride and wider Christmas offer in Blackpool.
"The ride will provide breathtaking views across the town and complement a wonderful Christmas offer for the town with the Winter Gardens Wonderland, Christmas By The Sea village and Star Flyer attractions all working together to provide a magical Christmas experience for everyone.
"We are delighted to have the ride operating and providing a spectacular experience in Blackpool this Christmas.
"The next stage of the wonderland opens on Friday this week with food stalls in St Johns Square, traditional rides, Santa’s grotto, VR experiences inside the winter gardens and much more.
"All we want is for the town to have a successful Christmas, for businesses to be able to gain additional revenue after a horrendous 18 months, children to be excited for Christmas and for everyone to have a great time.
"We hope that you come and enjoy your time with us and always welcome feedback on how we can improve going forward.
"The intention is to have this event every year to support Blackpool at Christmas.
"As a company, we bring hundreds of thousands of people into Blackpool each year and have done for the last 35 years.
"We hope to continue to support the town for many years to come."
