Organisers of Edinburgh's Christmas have given assurances that the Big Wheel is safe after revellers were stuck at the top of the festive attraction for nearly 45 minutes in high winds.

Around 100 people got stuck on the ride at 5.30pm on Saturday after a weather safety alert was issued.

Revellers stuck on the 130ft ride were unable to communicate with the Big Wheel's operators and were forced to call Edinburgh's Christmas box office for information.

Angela Moffat told the Edinburgh Evening News that her and her 12-year-old son had suffered panic attacks as a result of the incident.

She said: "It was horrible, absolutely horrible. It was just the worst feeling in the world and it was freezing.

"The cage was shaking back and forward. Harvey was crying all the way home on the bus."

A spokesman for Underbelly, who organise Edinburgh's Christmas, told STV: "The Big Wheel, which is an iconic part of Edinburgh's Christmas, is not opened if high winds are forecast.

"On Saturday, it performed exactly as it is designed to do to ensure the safety of passengers when a safety mechanism was triggered due to an inclement weather alert.

"All passengers were safely disembarked in under 35 minutes from the time of the alert. Unfortunately the design of the Big Wheel does not allow for an intercom system to be installed.

"We will be posting a telephone number in each capsule to allow passengers to speak to a representative if they have any concerns about the ride."