A DOUBLE lung transplant table tennis ace from Widnes has spoken of his pride at taking part in the Paralympic torch relay yesterday. Mark Allen, 40, carried the Flame 200 metres through Knightsbridge then passed the fire to the next runner. The North West squad relay squad, of which Mark was a member, began at Lord’s Cricket Club and ended near Regent’s Park. Spectators lined the street, cheered and took pictures as reigning British and European transplant games table tennis champ Mark passed. The Flame continued to the Olympic Stadium, where it lit the cauldron to declare the start of the Paralympic Games. Mark’s trip began on Tuesday evening with a stay at a hotel, where he and other torch-bearers from the North West chatted late in to the night. They rose at 4am yesterday and packed into a mini-bus for a five-hour slog to the capital. There they were whisked to Lord’s where they were briefed on the day ahead. Once the relay began, the Halton Council press officer received the Flame from a blind cricket team then set off down the street. Despite a 90-minute delay during the preparations, such was the good time he was having that Mark was reluctant to part with the symbolic fire. He said: “You forget all the delays and once you are doing it you want it go on forever. “You don’t want to give it to the next person! “It’s great fun, and very exciting when you see it coming in the distance. “There was a great atmosphere and everyone was cheering, and we had quite a few pictures taken because it was a media circus down there. “It was an amazing experience.” | 
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