PART of the Paralympic flame will be brought to Ely over the August Bank Holiday weekend, and will be received on the riverside, before a spectacular evening event on Palace Green.

Ely is one of just six venues chosen for the flame to visit within Cambridgeshire; the flame will also be at Cambridge, Peterborough, Milton, Grafham Water and Wisbech.

The flame celebrations are part of the Paralympic torch relay. Four flames will be lit, in London, Greater Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, before being shared throughout the nation.

The four flames will then be united at a Paralympic flame lighting ceremony at Stoke Mandeville on August 28, before being carried on a 24-hour overnight relay to London and the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.

Councillor Martin Curtis, who leads on the Olympics at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “It is fantastic news to hear that parts of the Paralympic flame are coming to our county.

“Cambridgeshire has a long and celebrated history with the Olympic and Paralympic movement so I am sure the events which are being planned and the excitement which is building around the games will touch the lives of many in the months to come.”

Chris Holmes, Director of Paralympic Integration at London 2012, said: “We are thrilled to announce that places throughout Cambridgeshire will play host to a flame celebration. This new concept will involve people from all around the UK in the spirit of the Paralympic movement in unique ways relevant to the area. I know that people from Cambridgeshire will get involved in this celebration and help ignite passion for the Paralympics across the UK.”