London Eye marks 10 th anniversary

The London Eye was 10 years old yesterday.

Opened in March 2000, the Eye has welcomed more than 36 million visitors and has become a symbol of London.

The 135-metres high wheel has turned more than 45,000 times and hosted 433 weddings. Boasting 32 capsules, each weighing 11 tonnes, the Eye - initially run by British Airways - is now operated by the Merlin Entertainments Group.

In its first year of opening, as many as 78 per cent of visitors were UK residents. But the majority of visitors now are overseas tourists, with foreign residents making up 70 per cent of visitors last year.

The most-frequent Eye enthusiasts from Europe are the Spanish, the French, the Italians and the Germans. Outside Europe, the most frequent visitors are Americans.

Originally planned to be just a five-year attraction, the 2,100-tonne Eye will now operate until at least 2025.