Prince Philip to get bird's eye view of seaside as he opens i360 attraction

The Duke of Edinburgh will take a ride on the world's first vertical cable car on Friday.

Philip will officially open the British Airways i360 attraction in Brighton, East Sussex, during his visit to the seaside city.

He will ride inside its giant, curved-glass pod from which viewers gain a 360-degree view of up to 26 miles of the south coast from the top.

The futuristic-looking structure opened on August 4 and is the world's tallest moving observation tower, standing where the wrecked Grade I-listed West Pier, built in 1866, joined the seafront promenade.

Designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the creators of the London Eye, the i360's toughened-glass pod can glide slowly from street level to 450ft (138m).

Dubbed "a vertical pier in the sky", it holds the Guinness World Record for the globe's most slender tower with a diameter of 3.9 metres at its widest point.

i360 officials will hope the technical glitches that left some people trapped on the attraction during the early days of its opening will not return for the royal visit.

The engagement will tap into Philip's special interest in design and engineering.

He is officially involved in more than 25 engineering institutions worldwide, including the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institution of Structural Engineers.