Blackpool Tower has undergone a stunning £20m facelift for its 117th birthday.

After spending the past 10 months behind closed doors, the tower has been unveiled with a glass floor and observation deck.

it was reopened by operator Merlin Entertainments on Thursday to show off its multi-million-pound revamp.

Nick Varney, a spokesman for its operator, Merlin Entertainments, described it as a 'landmark day' for the town and the tower itself. He said: “It looks fantastic and has been restored with a great deal of skill.”

Part of the £20million investment in the tower and promenade was spent on the Grade I-listed building’s ‘Tower Eye’ summit, which includes a four-tonne glass floor and observation platform on which visitors can walk.

The ballroom and circus have been brought up to date and the Tower Dungeon lends visitors a gruesome look into the past of North West England.

The area’s more pleasant history can be experienced in the 4D cinema.

The refurbishment is the latest stage of Blackpool council’s £250million plan to return the seaside resort to its glory days and encourage families to stay longer.

Cllr Graham Cain said: ‘Thanks to the regeneration that has already taken place, people are seeing a new side of Blackpool.

'Tourism is the key revenue driver and we have to get this right.’