The flame for the 2024 Summer Paralympics was lit on Saturday in the northwest London suburb of Stroke Mandeville, before embarking on its trip to Paris.

The village holds historical significance as the site of the inaugural 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games, which saw a group of wheelchair athletes compete under the guidance of Jewish neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttmann, who escaped Nazi persecution ahead of World War Two and later pioneered revolutionary treatments for spinal injuries.

This year's ceremony marks the start of the flame's journey to Paris, crossing the English Channel and traveling around France before arriving in the host city for Wednesday's opening ceremony.

The flame will light a unique cauldron attached to a hot-air balloon, symbolizing the start of 11 days of competition in the French capital.