After months of speculation, bosses at Blackpool Pleasure Beach have revealed the latest whiteknuckle ride for the resort The new £8million rollercoaster, called Infusion, will be unveiled in spring in time for the theme park's new season, and it is hoped the ride will help boost business.

It replaces the Pleasure Beach's popular Log Flume which was retired in September after almost 40 years.

Details of the new high speed roller comes just months after bosses at the Pleasure Beach, which attracts more than six million people a year, revealed the company was undergoing a "restructuring" period as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

The new 200ft animal', which will feature death-defying loops on twisted tracks and incorporate water effects, will be using parts of the Traumatizer ride from the axed Southport Pleasureland, also owned by the Thompson family, which closed overnight in early September.

At the time it was reported in the Citizen that the £5m Southport ride, built in 1999, could come to Blackpool.

The new blue and turquoise Infusion ride has been designed by the Dutch Vekoma group, creators of the original Traumatizer.

Pleasure Beach's deputy managing director, Nick Thompson, said: "There have been some elements of the Traumatizer taken from Southport and incorporated into the ride, there is a little similarity between the two rides."

Billed as featuring "five incredible loops and rolls, a looming lake glittering below, a deliciously wicked double line twist and awesome water effects all in one cool suspended looping coaster," Infusion will add to the amusement park's other whiteknuckle rides including the Iron Brew Revolution, opened in 1979, the Pepsi Max Big One, unveiled in 1994, the Ice Blast, opened in 1998, and the Valhalla from 2000.

Mr Thompson said: "The ride will be above the lake used for the Log Flume and will be one of the first ever rides to be based totally above water. It will have some water effects including a few cascading walls of water.

"We have been looking to add a really good water ride to the park as all our visitors seem to love water based rides, they're just fascinated by them."

Jane Seddon, director of tourism for Blackpool, said it was fantastic news that the Pleasure Beach had revealed the new ride at the end of the 2006 season. She said bosses are giving themselves time to use it as a unique feature to attract crowds next year.

She added: "We are delighted that Blackpool Pleasure Beach continue to invest in Blackpool and we look forward to testing the new ride next year."

A spokesman for Blackpool Pleasure Beach confirmed a consultation is still on-going between management and staff with regard to the future of the company.