First look inside Brighton's i360 observation tower

The world's tallest, slimmest, moving observation tower opens to the public in Brighton on Thursday - at a cost of £46 million pounds.

The British Airways i360 has been designed by the creators of the London Eye and is the biggest tourist attraction to be built in Brighton for over a century.

• It stands 162 metres high (450 feet)

• It's as tall as 36 double decker buses - stacked on top of each other.

• Each ride takes 20 minutes and gives 360 degree views over 26 miles across the English Channel and the South Downs.

The futuristic-looking structure stands where the Grade One-listed West Pier, built in 1866, joined the seafront promenade before it burnt down in 2003.

Today ITV Meridian had a sneak-peak at the top of the i360 for its first official 'flight' - but the typical British weather slightly spoiled the view.

It is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the area and is part of a push toregenerate the coastline area in the west of the city. But not everyone has been a fan of the structure, with controversy over its size.

Watch Malcolm Shaw's report: