A YORK family has told how they inadvertently witnessed the lighting of the Paralympic flame while on holiday in Wales.

Carol and Richard Long and their son, Lewis, 15, from Boroughbridge Road, had travelled to the top of Mount Snowdon where they came across Lord Sebastian Coe and the Paralympic torch lighters and Scouts.

The group had gathered on the peak of Snowdon for a ceremony carried out on the highest peaks of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, to signify the start of the 14th Paralympic Games.

Scouts struck a metal rod against a rough steel surface to ignite sparks to light a flame, which was then used to light the torch.

The Long family were invited to watch the ceremony and were captured in news footage and photographs of the ceremony.

Mrs Long said: “We were there to watch the whole lighting event and were part of the small crowd during the ceremony. We took many photos and video footage to mark this amazing event and feel very privileged to have been there. When we booked the trip five weeks ago we had no idea how lucky we would be.”

Manor CE School pupil Lewis later had his photograph taken with Lord Coe, who travelled in the train back from the summit with them.

The opening ceremony of Paralympic Games took place last night in the Olympic Stadium in London.