The first passengers on London's Millennium Wheel have described their trip as "unbelievable" and "magnificent".

The £35m wheel - officially called the British Airways London Eye - opened on Tuesday morning after passing a final safety check.

Among those taking their places on the 450-ft high attraction was mother Pam Morrisey.

Ms Morrisey, who had been due to ride on the wheel on 31 December, its scheduled opening date, said she felt as though she had made a little piece of history.

"It's something to look back on and the children have enjoyed it tremendously," she said, adding that she could see a friend's home from her vantage point high above London's South Bank.

The city was shrouded in a light mist as the first of the 32 carriages began to rise into the air. But the fact that they could not see for the expected 25 miles did not dampen the spirits of the passengers.

Mrs Jenny Walker, from Croydon, south London, said: "It was unbelievable. Even on a relatively poor day for visibility, we had wonderful views over London. It was just magnificent."

Passengers also praised the design of the carriages which are attached only on one side at a time, giving the illusion of hovering over the capital.

But while the London Eye may be rolling smoothly, the booking system is not.

Potential passengers calling the booking number are led through an expensive premium-rate introductory routine, but well into the procedure, they are told there is a "system failure", and to ring back later.

However BA said it had already taken 600,000 bookings and expects 2.5 million people to ride on the wheel in its first year.

For David Marks, the architect who first sketched the wheel on a piece of paper, it was the end to a fraught month of waiting.

"It's my baby and now it's walking and talking and doing all the things it should do," he said.

Mr Marks added with some relief: "I've handed it over - it's now the Londoners' wheel."

Wheel may stay

Another passenger relieved to see the wheel up and spinning was British Airways' chief executive Bob Ayling.

Mr Ayling said he was "very happy indeed" as his carriage climbed into the sky and the landmarks of London began to appear.

BA has planning permission for the wheel for five years but it is expected that the attraction could become a permanent feature, as happened with the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Mark Davies, 26, from Earls Court, London, said he would like to see the London Eye become a lasting landmark.

"I think the wheel is a wonderful piece of engineering and they should try to keep it up as long as possible." he said.