A NEW £500,000 ride will soon open at a popular zoo park.

The Rainforest Carousel is being billed as the first of its kind in the UK and is expected to open at Drusillas Park near Alfriston in the spring.

Visitors will be invited to climb upon their favourite animal and “be enchanted by the wonders of the rainforest” as they soar up and down on the classic ride with a “captivating jungle twist”.

Managing director Laurence Smith said: “We first saw the carousel ride in action over seven years ago and fell in love with it, but now is the perfect time to bring it to the park. The plans are well under way for this half a million pound investment and we are very excited.

“The ride suits the park perfectly as it’s family friendly and has an animal theme so we know it will be a great success and very popular amongst our visitors. We will be thrilled to finally have the Rainforest Carousel at Drusillas.”

The ride is wheelchair friendly.