A new £16.25 million rollercoaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach will be named Icon, park bosses have announced.

The ride will be the UK's first double-launch rollercoaster, propelling riders at high speed at the start and at a second point halfway through the two-and-a-half-minute experience.

Pleasure Beach managing director Amanda Thompson said: "Icon is going to be one of the most talked about, iconic rollercoasters of the future. The name speaks for itself as it will be one of the most iconic rides on the planet.


"This is Blackpool Pleasure Beach's biggest investment to date and will have a real impact on the town and region as a whole."

The theme park has unveiled the name and computer-generated images of the design.

The ride will go over and around 15 of the park's other rides, including The Big One.

Work on the new attraction started in December and more than 5,500 tonnes of soil have been excavated and over 8,000 metres of pre-cast concrete piles and steel tubes driven up to 12 metres into the ground.

When it opens, in spring next year, riders will experience the same acceleration as that felt by a Formula 1 driver, and will reach speeds of up to 80mph.

Pleasure Beach deputy managing director Nick Thompson said: "After over 43,000 hours of planning and with the first phase of construction work complete, we're thrilled to unveil the name of this incredible new attraction today and to provide rollercoaster enthusiasts with a first look at Icon."