It was celebration time as the borough said a big thank you on Saturday to all the people who helped make the Olympics a success in Kingston.

First there was a prize giving ceremony in the Guildhall, where the mayor handed out special batons to torch relay and road races volunteers.

This was followed by an evening of entertainment at the Rose Theatre, featuring music, dance and films with an Olympic theme.

Highlights included a performance piece from the Kingston Institute of Tamil Culture representing the five Olympic rings, and a Bradley Wiggins road race victory inspired dance commissioned by Creative Youth.

The evening ended with a rousing speech by Kingston Mayor Mary Heathcote, who spoke about the borough’s role in London 2012, before disabled athlete Jack Binstead did the ceremonial hand over to Rio, Brazil for the next Games 2016.

More than 250,000 people are estimated to have lined the streets for the torch relay while more than 30,000 flocked to the riverbanks to see it travel down the river.

Huge crowds also turned out for the road race events, mostly famously in the Market Place, where Kingston roared cycling hero Bradley Wiggins to Gold in the time trial.

Councillor Heathcote said the Games volunteers helped create the extra special atmosphere in Kingston.

She said: “The Olympic legacy is not just for athletics but for people who volunteered. They are the ones that helped to create that extra special atmosphere that everyone will always remember.

“They would get up ridiculously early but yet would always have a smile on their face. They really went the extra mile for Kingston."