The British Airways i360 has been rapped by the advertising regulator after claiming the moving observation tower was the “world’s tallest”.

We may have the best tower with a viewing pod which rises the biggest distance - that much is correct - but the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) was not happy with the description on its website as “the world’s tallest moving observation tower” after a complaint.

British Airways explained they used the description to refer to the distance from which the British Airways i360 pod travelled – from ground level to 138 metres. British Airways i360 said that the pod moved a greater vertical distance from the ground than any other moving observation tower.

But although our tower gives you the longest ride up into the air some of the inferior competition in other cities gives you a view from higher in the sky.

The ruling referred to two other observation towers – the Euromast in Rotterdam and the Donauturm in Vienna.

The Euromast’s observation deck in Rotterdam does not move and is positioned at 100 metres with a rotating glass elevator above it (the Euroscoop) which travels to 185m.

The Donauturm in Vienna has a static viewing platform with two revolving restaurants at 161.2 and 169.4m which do not travel over any distance in height and only revolve.

But the ASA - the UK’s regulator of advertising - ordered British Airways should not to post the description in the form used.

The ASA ruling stated: “We noted the British Airways i360 moved a greater distance from the ground up than other towers.

“However, while the evidence provided by British Airways i360 showed that other moving observation areas rose from halfway up a tower structure and not from the ground, we noted that those towers rose higher into the air than the British Airways i360.”

The complaint was made after the advert appeared on the British Airways i360 website in July 2017.

British Airways i360 executive director Steve Bax said: “British Airways i360 has received multiple prestigious awards for innovation, design and the quality of our visitor experience, and while the ASA ruling was disappointing it does not change our position as a world-class attraction which is giving inspiration and delight to hundreds of thousands of people every year.

“The British Airways i360 pod rises from ground level to 138m, covering a longer vertical distance than any other moving viewing platform.

“We understood this made our attraction the world’s tallest moving observation tower, however the ASA had a different interpretation.”