Gail Porter takes the plunge on ride

PRESENTER Gail Porter and her boyfriend Jonny Davies led the way as one of the UK's most terrifying rollercoaster rides opened to the public yesterday.

Visitors to Alton Towers queued up to test the Thirteen, which the owners claim is the first free-fall drop ride in the world. The ride features two track-reversing switches, one indoors during the middle of the ride and another at the end of the ride before the brake run.

The ride is a replacement for Corkscrew, which had been a favourite at Alton Towers since 1980.