WORK to build the UK's tallest fairground ride of its kind began yesterday at Flamingo Land.

At 55 metres high the Cliff Hanger ride will take pride of place in a new £4 million area in the park.

The new ride will be ready in time for the park's opening on March 24, according to owner Gordon Gibb.

"A passenger gondola will be propelled up and down the full extent of the tower," he said.

"Riders will be taken to the top, then dropped and caught safely before hitting the bottom.

"The ride will take pride of place within a new £4 million development called Professor Bubbles' Seaside Adventure which will boast a children's ride called the Frog Hopper tower."

There will also be a themed restaurant and diner and a 50-metre wide section of a man-made cliff modelled on the Scarborough coastline, said Mr Gibb.

"We wanted to both celebrate and offer a tribute to the traditional British seaside holiday," he said. "We have transformed an area of the park to create a mirror image of the UK coastline complete with sand areas, rock pools, cliff sections and, of course, the awesome Cliff Hanger which will be themed to resemble a period lighthouse."

The whole development will be an added attraction to what has become the UK's fourth most visited theme park, said Mr Gibb.

"The English Tourism Council has recently reported that Flamingo Land experienced the biggest increase in market share during the 2000 season, up eight per cent to 1.3 million visitors," he said.

Updated: 11:40 Friday, February 15, 2002