Olympic Flame Touches Down On British Soil

The Olympic flame has landed on British soil for the first time since 1948 ahead of the London 2012 Games.

A gold liveried A319 Airbus, named Firefly, landed at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall after a 1,500 mile journey from Athens in Greece.

The flame was held in four different lanterns, which were fastened into specially designed cradles in seats 1A and 1B for the near four-hour flight.

The Olympic delegation, comprising Lord Sebastian Coe and HRS Princess Royal sat alongside.

Hundreds of invited members of the public sat in grandstands flanking the runway at the airbase to watch its historic arrival.

David Beckham, who has been a champion of the Games since the bid process began in 2005, played a central role in a special ceremony , by lighting the torch from the flame ahead of the start of the relay.

It begins at Land's End, the most South-Westerly tip of mainland Britain, and will zig-zag across the country, passing within 10miles of 95% of the population.

Sailing champion Ben Ainslie will carry the Olympic torch on the first leg of its relay, setting off on Saturday morning.

Lord Coe said: "The arrival of the Olympic Flame on home soil is a magical moment for any host country.

"It will connect millions of people around the UK to the Games in a unique way and allows us to celebrate the best of the UK and its people."

There are 8,000 torchbearers who will carry the flame the 8,000 miles that will lead to the Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony on July 27.

©SkyNews 2012