Stoke Mandeville Stadium hosted the fourth Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting Ceremony this week.

The ceremony was covered on Channel 4 News with the flame then travelling to the official opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games which took place on Friday.

Stoke Mandeville is widely regarded as the spiritual birthplace of the Paralympic sport movement, following the pioneering work of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann in his work with spinal injury patients.

For this reason, the Heritage Flame Ceremony has happened here for each of the Paralympic Games since London 2012.

Vicky Hope-Walker, CEO of the National Paralympic Heritage Trust, said: "This is such an incredibly exciting time for Paralympic sport, and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich Paralympic history, including Tokyo Paralympic Games 1964, that Buckinghamshire and Stoke Mandeville are a part of.

"Everyone is thrilled to see the Heritage Flame lighting at Stoke Mandeville, as part of the torch relay.

"It’s fantastic to know that part of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic flame will have been passed virtually from the birthplace of the Paralympics.”

The ceremony welcomed the Paralympic Torch Bearers and local community groups as they ignite the Heritage Flame at the start of its virtual journey to Japan.

As well as the flame, the event sent messages of good luck to the athletes and hosts of the Games from the spiritual birthplace of the Paralympic movement.

Cllr Clive Harriss, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “It’s fantastic that we are able to recognise and celebrate Buckinghamshire as the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement with another Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting Ceremony.