THE first of two new thrill rides coming to Clacton Pier this year is starting to take shape.

Pier bosses said work is progressing well on the White Water Log Flume and it is expected to be open in time for the Easter holidays.

The sub-frame has been finished, all the tank station constructed, and the lower sections completed.

Work has now started on the foundations for the higher parts of the ride and these will go up over the next couple of weeks.

Pier director Billy Ball said that he is relieved to see the Log Flume starting to grow and it is now about one third of its final height.

“The team is really cracking on with the programme and you can start to see what a big attraction this will be for us,” he said.

“People walking along the promenade will notice part of the structure sticking up above the building line and this will become even more evident over the next fortnight.

“After all that has gone on over the winter it is a relief to be making progress on one of the new thrill rides.”

The total cost of the project to add the two new rides is £1 million.

The Log Flume was bought from a park in Scotland owned by members of the Ball family and has been completely refurbished.

The second new thrill ride, the Looping Star, will be put up later in the year once the area of the pier that collapsed on February 14 has been repaired.