Competitors have started to arrive at Heathrow Airport ahead of the Paralympic Games which begin on August 29.

British Airways said that Wednesday would be the busiest day for Paralympic arrivals at the west London airport.

As well as athletes, the airline is also transporting around 300 wheelchairs, firearms, weapon bags, physiotherapist cases,

bike boxes, tandem bikes and hand cycles.

Operations director Andy Lord said: "It has been a mammoth operation that we have been planning and preparing for since the 2008 Beijing Games,when we flew Team GB and ParalympicGB home on a gold nose aircraft.

"It is a privilege to fly thousands of athletes, their coaching teams and their sporting equipment into London for the Paralympic Games and follows on from the great service we delivered for the Olympic Games."

British Airways are flying in Paralympic teams from 25 countries including ParalympicsGB who are thought to be arriving next week from their training camps abroad.