Canterbury will have its own London Eye-style attraction this week as the University of Kent prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

It revealed the tourist draw, named the Kent Eye, will open on campus on Wednesday, offering panoramic views of the city.

Standing 33 metres tall - 102 metres shorter than the London landmark - it will be based on the slopes between the Rutherford and Eliot lawns until Sunday, October 19, before returning in July next year for three months.

It has 24 pods and each trip will last 10 minutes.

The university website reads: “The Kent Eye will be one of the biggest attractions during the 50th anniversary of the university.

“It is an exciting opportunity to see the university and the city of Canterbury, offering you a panoramic view of the surrounding areas.

“We will welcome everyone from Kent’s community to enjoy this unique attraction.”

The wheel’s opening hours will be 2pm to 8pm from Monday to Thursday, while on Fridays and Saturdays it will be in action from 10am to 2pm and 3pm to 9pm. On Sundays the hours are 11am to 6pm.

It will cost £6 for a full ticket, £5 for holders of a KentOne or MyCanterbury card and £4 for under-12s.

The university made the announcement to launch a series of events to celebrate its 50th birthday.

An opening ceremony will take place on October 1 in Canterbury with commemorative parties in Brussels, Paris and Rome over the following seven months.

For more information visit www.kent.ac.uk