You shall go to the ball! Wheelchair user's relief after emergency engineer makes Heritage Flame torch holder

There were fears that torchbearer Adelaide Gardiner, who has cerebral palsy, could not take part in the Paralympic event because the original designer had to pull out of making the holder.

But an emergency call was answered by Remap, a charity which makes bespoke equipment for disabled people.

Volunteer Roger Thorn carefully designed a device and the holder dream became a reality.

“Adelaide is so excited about taking part in an historic event which wouldn’t have been possible without Remap,” said her carer Gail Beard.

“We were devastated when the person we had lined up to create this for us was no longer able to make it – this meant Adelaide couldn’t participate.

“She is a wheelchair user, so having a device to hold the Paralympic flame attached to her wheelchair was vital.”

Adelaide will play a key role in the Heritage Flame ceremony which takes place at Stoke Mandeville Stadium this evening.

The final act will see Paralympic legend Tanni Grey-Thomson light the Paralympic flame.

A virtual flame will then leave the stadium and lead a carnival procession through Vale Park in Aylesbury.

It will combine with other flames from across Brazil to create the Paralympic flame in Rio to mark the start of the games on Wednesday.