THE Paralympic and Olympic torch lit up a celebration for Weymouth’s Sports Arena.

The two torches were the centrepiece of a celebration of the beach facility, which was held to mark its final day.

The sports arena gave thousands of people a chance to enjoy a variety of sports during the Olympics and Paralympics.

A team from Paralympic sponsor Sainsbury’s brou-ght the torches down to the beach.

Dave Franks, county sports and physical activity manager at Dorset County Council, said they had more than 100,000 people through the doors during the Olympics and Para-lympics.

He said: “It’s been an incredible success.”

Olympic torchbearer Betty Port, from Dorchester , brought her torch to the beach for the occasion.

She said: “People want to see the torch, it’s what it represents. There’s something about it that brings happiness – everyone smiles when they see it.”

Chairman of Dorset County Council John Wilson said it had been an ‘unbelievable’ success.

Councillor Ian Bruce, spokesman for tourism and leisure at Weymouth and Portland Council, said that there are plans to bring the facility back next summer.