Four flames have been lit on the highest peaks of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland ahead of next week's Paralympic Games in London.

Disabled and able-bodied scouts and mountaineers scaled Scafell Pike in England, Snowdon in Wales, Scotland's Ben Nevis and Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland. The four flames will be brought together on Tuesday at Stoke Mandeville, the English hospital considered to be the birthplace of the Paralympics.

The Paralympics are a near sell-out, with spectators attracted by high-profile competitors including "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius - the South African double amputee sprinter who competed in the Olympics.

A record 4,200 athletes from 166 countries will take part and the Games will be watched by an estimated global television audience of four billion.

Four flames have been lit on the highest peaks of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland ahead of next week's Paralympic Games in London.