PEOPLE from across the Herald area took centre stage as the London 2012 Paralympics opened on Wednesday, and many local athletes – and a horse – are set to challenge for gold medals over the coming fortnight.

Matthew Slough, a 22-year-old former Farnham schoolboy and football coach at Chelsea's Community Foundation, was one of the last people to carry the iconic Paralympic flame before it entered the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.

He was nominated as a torchbearer for his work inspiring countless disabled sportsmen and women after overcoming his own serious heart problems, and carried the torch through Westminster.

Later on Wednesday, Alton's Peter Norfolk, the current world number one in wheelchair tennis quad doubles and double Paralympics quad singles gold medallist, carried the Union Flag during the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium.

For full story, see this week's Farnham Herald.