Paralympic flames come together (From Northwich Guardian)

Paralympic flames come together

8:50pm Tuesday 28th August 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

The Paralympic torch began the final stage of its journey as the flames from each of the four host nations were brought together at the home of the Games.

Four specially-chosen torchbearers were given the honour of carrying the four flames into the stadium in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, the national stadium for disabled sport, before they then came together to light the cauldron to loud cheers from the assembled crowd.

Paralympic gold medallist Tony Griffin carried the English flame while Paralympian Christopher Channon took the Scottish flame on to the stage.

Special constable Darren Ferguson carried the flame for Northern Ireland after being recognised for going to the aid of a man who wanted to take his own life, while Marsha Wiseman bore the Welsh flame after being nominated for the work she has done to promote the Paralympic Games.

The four flames were struck last week by young disabled and non-disabled Scouts on the four highest mountain peaks in each of the four host nations - Scafell Pike in England, Snowdon in Wales, Ben Nevis in Scotland and Northern Ireland's Slieve Donard.

They then rested at Paralympic celebrations in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff before being taken to Stoke Mandeville, where the Paralympic movement began in 1948 after neurologist Ludwig Guttman came up with the idea of rehabilitating injured servicemen with sport.

Earlier, London 2012 chairman Lord Coe addressed the crowd, saying he was "so excited" to be at the home of the Games on the eve of their opening.

He said: "It's been a long time coming - seven years for our teams at Locog but 64 years since the passion and drive of Ludwig Guttmann signposted this extraordinary journey we have all been on.

"It is simply not possible to stand here without feeling a mountainous debt of gratitude for one of the world's great visionaries.

"I would like to think that if Ludwig Guttmann were here today, he would be proud of the way we have united the four nations of the UK with these flames in the same way we aim to unite the world through the London 2012 Paralympic Games."