 The wheel was previously located close to the Champs-Elysee in Paris |
Tourists using a Ferris wheel that offers panoramic views of the UK's industrial heartland have been surprised by a commentary inviting them to admire the River Seine and the Eiffel Tower. The firm that operates the Birmingham Wheel is blaming the mix-up on technical problems it said were the result of moving the 60-metres-high attraction from its former home in Paris.
A spokesman for World Tourist Attractions, which owns the wheel, said: "We were planning to remove the French commentary and replace it with facts and figures about the wheel of Birmingham, and the city, in English.
"Unfortunately, there have been complex technical difficulties that have meant that we cannot now do this within the time that the wheel is in Birmingham."
The commentary was in English, but spoken with a French accent.
The wheel, which has so far attracted 24,000 visitors, was assembled in Birmingham's Centenary Square last month.
It offers a 15-minute ride in 42 six-seater gondolas that offer views across Birmingham and the Black Country and into the countryside beyond.
The attraction is open to the public until the end of January when it will be moved to another site.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
