Bridlington's wheel will be a quarter of the size of the one in London

Planning councillors gave the go-ahead on Monday for the 100ft high wheel to be built at an amusement park near the seafront at Bridlington.

It will carry 150 passengers on a ride which will give them extensive views up and down the coast.

The man behind the scheme, Michael Harrison, said the wheel should be open next Easter. "It will be a great attraction for Bridlington," he added.

Little opposition

The wheel, which will probably be built in the Netherlands, is part of a large redevelopment of Mr Harrison's Bayside Fun Park which is expected to create an extra 100 jobs on top of the 120 people he currently employs in high season.

Plans for a 180ft-high wheel in Towers Garden on the banks of the River Ouse in York were withdrawn by developers World Tourist Attractions Ltd in March after opposition by residents.

But according to Mr Harrison, people in Bridlington are behind his plan.

"We've had nothing but positive views on it," he said