Riding High??

The world's TALLEST ferris wheel opens in Las Vegas

Tourists queued for more than six hours as the High Roller opened to the public on Las Vegas's world-renowned Strip.

The ride which comes in at a whopping 550ft (168 metres) at its highest point beats the Singapore Flyer at nearly 541ft.

While the London Eye is a mere trifle at 443ft.

The wheel's title however will be short-lived as ferris wheels are planned in both New York and Dubai to overshadow the Las Vegas ride.

However for the time being fans were full of admiration over the High Roller - which features 28 cabins each able to carry 40 people.

Van Kim, an airline call centre employee from Phoenix, waited for more than six hours to get on the ride.

He exclaimed: "It was unanimously awesome. It's probably the best view of the Strip."

Comparing it to the Stratosphere tower, just two miles away, he added: "The view was better. We didn't feel the wind at all."

The Las Vegas wheel is part of a $550million restaurant, bar, retail and bar development programme to revive a run-down area of the city between the Flamingo and the renamed Quad Casino.

At night the wheel lights up the evening sky with hues of red, blue, green and purple.