THOUSANDS of people greeted the Olympic Flame in north Dorset as it passed through Blandford and Shaftesbury yesterday.

Jack Delaney, 17, from Blandford, climbed out of his wheelchair to walk around 300 metres through the town with the flame in front of cheering crowds.

His disabilities include a curved spine and stiff muscles and he said the distance was around the limits of what he could manage.

Jack, a Blandford School pupil, was nominated for his work with the charity U Support, which gives out event tickets to ill and disadvantaged children. He carried the flame at around 11.30am on Bournemouth Road.

But it started the day with sunrise at Stonehenge and the legendary US Olympian Michael Johnson, before it arrived in Shaftesbury around 9.30am.

The flame went up famous Gold Hill and bearers included Dan Davies, 20, nominated for his work with Christchurch Life Saving Club, a local beach guarding service.

There was a parade and a performance by the Town Silver Band, and an appearance by dressage rider Hannah Biggs from Gillingham, who carried the Beijing torch.

Then it went south through Fontmell Magna and was carried by Michael Wise, 76, from Highcliffe, who founded the Corfe Mullen-based Children’s Hospice Julia’s House.

After Blandford, the flame travelled south west, hitting Winterborne Whitechurch around midday, before heading to Weymouth for the town’s Olympic party. Over the course of the day 116 people carried the flame and the relay travelled 108 miles, also passing through Iwerne Minster, Stourpaine, and Milborne St Andrew before reaching West Dorset.

A spokesman for North Dorset District Council said: “There were thousands of people in Shaftesbury and Blandford and everything went according to plan.”

See all our torch coverage at bournemouthecho.co.uk/torchrelay