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| London 2012: Paralympic flames lit in Northern Ireland & Wales | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The first two of the four Paralympic flames have been lit at the top of Northern Ireland's Slieve Donard and at the summit of Snowdon in Wales. | |
| Four teams are scaling the highest peaks of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to create the flames in time for next week's Games. | Four teams are scaling the highest peaks of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to create the flames in time for next week's Games. |
| Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis are the other mountains being climbed. | |
| The flames will then be carried down in lanterns ahead of celebrations in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. | |
| A 24-hour relay will leave Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Games on Tuesday 28 August, to arrive in time for the opening ceremony the following evening. | |
| The team in Northern Ireland had the best weather conditions and the shortest journey and after putting their flame in a miner's lantern, they are expected to be back at base at around 11:30 BST. | The team in Northern Ireland had the best weather conditions and the shortest journey and after putting their flame in a miner's lantern, they are expected to be back at base at around 11:30 BST. |
| The flame on Snowdon was lit just before 10:10 BST with Lord Coe, chairman of Games organisers Locog, looking on. | |
| He told the BBC: "I'm absolutely sure this will start the excitement around the Paralympics. We get the Paralympics in this country and this is just a great way of starting the flame on its journey to the Paraympic Stadium. | |
| "I think a lot of people are going to be taken by surprise when they see the quality of Paralympic sport. Some were probably watching Olympic sport for the first time during those Games but when they see Paralympic sport for the first time they are going to be blown away by it." | |
| While journalists ascended Snowdown by mountain railway, Lord Coe and the team of climbers trekked their way to the top. He added: "It was a great team effort and a long trek. It was quite cold in a couple of places." | |
| The four teams are made up of scouts, mountain guides and people with disabilities, and are expected to take about four hours to reach the peaks. | The four teams are made up of scouts, mountain guides and people with disabilities, and are expected to take about four hours to reach the peaks. |
| Lord Coe, who has joined scouts as they climb Snowdon, told the BBC: "We wanted to focus on human endeavour and team work and that's why, from Stoke Mandeville - the spiritual home of the Paralympic Games - into the Paralympic Stadium, we are going to have a 24-hour relay. | Lord Coe, who has joined scouts as they climb Snowdon, told the BBC: "We wanted to focus on human endeavour and team work and that's why, from Stoke Mandeville - the spiritual home of the Paralympic Games - into the Paralympic Stadium, we are going to have a 24-hour relay. |
| "We wanted to make it different and lighting it on the four tallest peaks in the four home countries was a great way of starting it off." | "We wanted to make it different and lighting it on the four tallest peaks in the four home countries was a great way of starting it off." |
| Conditions at the top of Snowdon were misty and the scouts there carried extra wood and fluff from a tumble dryer to help them kindle their flame. | |
| Mountaineer Kevin Shields, who has epilepsy and is missing part of his left hand, is in the Scottish group. | Mountaineer Kevin Shields, who has epilepsy and is missing part of his left hand, is in the Scottish group. |
| He was the first disabled climber to enter the Ice World Cup and has scaled some of the UK's most challenging mountains. | He was the first disabled climber to enter the Ice World Cup and has scaled some of the UK's most challenging mountains. |
| He said: "It is such an honour to be included in the Paralympic Flame creation. Ben Nevis is such a unique place of beauty and the perfect setting for this once-in-a-lifetime moment". | He said: "It is such an honour to be included in the Paralympic Flame creation. Ben Nevis is such a unique place of beauty and the perfect setting for this once-in-a-lifetime moment". |
| The teams will use a ferrocerium rod and strike it against a rough steel surface to produce the sparks that will create the flame. | The teams will use a ferrocerium rod and strike it against a rough steel surface to produce the sparks that will create the flame. |
| In London, a ceremonial cauldron will be lit in Trafalgar Square, and Belfast's festival will have a lantern procession outside City Hall and a cauldron-lighting outside Stormont. | In London, a ceremonial cauldron will be lit in Trafalgar Square, and Belfast's festival will have a lantern procession outside City Hall and a cauldron-lighting outside Stormont. |
| Scotland's flame will light a ceremonial cauldron on the Mound in Edinburgh and a lantern procession at Meadowbank Sports Centre, while Cardiff's ceremony will include a cauldron-lighting outside City Hall and a lantern procession in Roald Dahl Place. | Scotland's flame will light a ceremonial cauldron on the Mound in Edinburgh and a lantern procession at Meadowbank Sports Centre, while Cardiff's ceremony will include a cauldron-lighting outside City Hall and a lantern procession in Roald Dahl Place. |
| The flames will then unite in the home of the Paralympic movement, Stoke Mandeville, ahead of a 24-hour torch relay which starts at 20:00 BST on 28 August and travels overnight to London. | The flames will then unite in the home of the Paralympic movement, Stoke Mandeville, ahead of a 24-hour torch relay which starts at 20:00 BST on 28 August and travels overnight to London. |
| It will see the Paralympic flame carried 92 miles by 580 torchbearers, working in teams of five, from Stoke Mandeville Stadium through Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and all six of London's host boroughs to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. | It will see the Paralympic flame carried 92 miles by 580 torchbearers, working in teams of five, from Stoke Mandeville Stadium through Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and all six of London's host boroughs to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. |
| There it will be used to light the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Games on the evening of 29 August. | There it will be used to light the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Games on the evening of 29 August. |
| Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport is gearing up for its busiest day as athletes begin arriving ahead of the Paralympics. | Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport is gearing up for its busiest day as athletes begin arriving ahead of the Paralympics. |
| And the first of the Paralympic Games lanes has come into force on the M4, taking traffic from Heathrow into central London. | And the first of the Paralympic Games lanes has come into force on the M4, taking traffic from Heathrow into central London. |
| It will operate each day as needed from 0500 to 1000 BST, with "ordinary" traffic able to use it outside these times. | It will operate each day as needed from 0500 to 1000 BST, with "ordinary" traffic able to use it outside these times. |
| The M4 lane is part of the 8.7-mile Paralympic Route Network (PRN). | The M4 lane is part of the 8.7-mile Paralympic Route Network (PRN). |
| The rest of the restricted lanes will come into force next Wednesday, when the Games begin. | The rest of the restricted lanes will come into force next Wednesday, when the Games begin. |
| British Airways said in the run-up to the Games it would be flying in teams from 25 countries, including ParalympicsGB. | British Airways said in the run-up to the Games it would be flying in teams from 25 countries, including ParalympicsGB. |
| Along with the athletes, the airline is also transporting equipment such as 300 wheelchairs, firearms, weapon bags, physiotherapist cases, bike boxes, tandem bikes, bow and arrows, hand cycles and boccia kits. | Along with the athletes, the airline is also transporting equipment such as 300 wheelchairs, firearms, weapon bags, physiotherapist cases, bike boxes, tandem bikes, bow and arrows, hand cycles and boccia kits. |
| Andy Lord, BA operations director, said it had been a "mammoth operation". | Andy Lord, BA operations director, said it had been a "mammoth operation". |
| "It is a privilege to fly thousands of athletes, their coaching teams and their sporting equipment into London for the Paralympic Games and follows on from the great service we delivered for the Olympic Games," he said. | "It is a privilege to fly thousands of athletes, their coaching teams and their sporting equipment into London for the Paralympic Games and follows on from the great service we delivered for the Olympic Games," he said. |
| Are you part of one of the teams climbing to the mountain summits? Or are you involved in the Paralympic Games opening ceremony? Please send us your emails using the form below. | Are you part of one of the teams climbing to the mountain summits? Or are you involved in the Paralympic Games opening ceremony? Please send us your emails using the form below. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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