French firefighters had to rescue eight New Year revellers who were trapped high in the air on a broken fairground ride for more than eight hours overnight.

The three adults and five teenagers — the youngest aged 13 — were stuck about 52 metres above the ground in the city of Rennes in western France.

Witnesses quoted by local newspaper Ouest-France said the pendulum ride broke down at around 8.30pm on New Year’s Eve amid noise and sparks, leaving one of the two passenger sections suspended at the highest point.

Firefighters used a helicopter to reach the trapped group and provide them with harnesses so they could be winched down on to a rescue ladder.

They had all safely reached the ground by Tuesday morning.