On Sunday 6 April 2008, Wembley kicked-off the London leg of the global Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay. The first torch of the London leg was carried by Sir Steve Redgrave and his torch was lit on the centre circle at Wembley Stadium.

As part of the torch relay celebration a special event was held in Arena Square, outside the stadium featuring cultural performances from Brent's diverse communities. In front of a crowd of approximately 3,000 Sir Steve Redgrave passed the Olympic torch to 16 year old student Cheyenne Green from Brent, one of 80 torch bearers taking part in the relay.

Despite the snow, thousands of people came out onto the streets of London to see the Olympic flame being carried through the capital by athletes, London 2012 hopefuls, celebrities and community heroes.

The route covered 31 miles, with events in 10 boroughs and involved 80 torchbearers. Torchbearers included 10 Olympic champions, 18 schoolchildren and public figures such as news reader Sir Trevor McDonald and children’s presenter Konnie Huq.

Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes ran the last stage of the route to complete the relay and lit the Olympic cauldron in front of 5,000 spectators outside the Arena in North Greenwich

Dame Kelly Holmes said: 'I felt very proud to hold the Torch, even prouder to light the cauldron at the end. It was fantastic how it all came together and it was such a great atmosphere and that is what the Olympic spirit is all about.

'At the end of the day the Olympic Torch is a call to all sportspeople that the Games are about to begin and that is what sportspeople's dreams are all about.'

As many predicted there were serious attempts to disrupt the torch's progress across London by pro-Tibet demonstrators, but the relay was completed on time, with relatively few arrests and no injuries.

A spokesperson for the organisers of the event said: 'We should not lose sight of what the torch relay is about - a celebration of Olympism and a call to the athletes of the world that the Games are coming. We hope that this message - and the power and magic of the Olympic Games, and of sport will continue to be celebrated as the torch continues its journey across the world.'

The torch was lit in Olympia at the start of April week and will go through 20 countries before being carried into the Beijing Games opening ceremony on 8 August. The next leg of the relay is in Paris.

Wembley has a rich and outstanding Olympic heritage – the 1948 Games were held in Wembley with the Stadium as the focal point and the location of the opening ceremony. This year’s torch relay had special significance because London will be holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Wembley Stadium is scheduled to be an Olympic venue in 2012 – staging the men and women’s football finals.

Torch facts
• The Olympic Torch is an important symbol of the Olympic Games. It is in remembrance of Prometheus’ theft of fire from the Greek god, Zeus.
• It is lit several months before the opening of the Games at the site of the ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece.
• It can withstand winds of up to 65 kilometres an hour and can stay alight in rainfall of 50