FORMER Paralympian James Sands welcomed the London 2012 Paralympic Games torch to Scotland.

He was joined by excited school children and staff at this morning's visit to the Sainsbury's store at Braehead.

The 36-year-old Sainsbury's employee from Paisley won gold in the 5000m at the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, China.

Veterans from the Renfrewshire-based charity Erskine and P4 pupils from Sandwood Primary School watched the arrival of the torch in store.

Patrick Moran, Sainsbury's Paralympic public relations ambassador for the west of Scotland, said everyone was "excited".

He said: "It is quite an honour for us to have it. There are 18 stores in our region and we were chosen for the visit. It is good for all the colleagues to see the real-life flame."

The Paralympic Torch is touring Sainsbury's stores across the UK, visiting one store in each region.

Staff at the Braehead store have been offering Paralympic sport demonstrations including wheelchair basketball, boccia and blind football in store since January.

Five of their staff have been invited to go down to London as part of Turn the Park Orange – an event that will see 5000 Sainsbury's employees watch the Games.

They will get to see to the Wheelchair Basketball next month.

The torch travelled to the Sainsbury's store at Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow city centre after visiting Braehead.

In Scotland, competitors from across a variety of disciplines are preparing for one of the biggest sporting events of their lives. They will be among 4200 athletes competing in more than 500 medal events.

Ian Mirfin, co-founder and coach at Red Star Athletics – a club for athletes with disabilities in the East End –said: "I think there is a lot of interest in the Paralympics and a number of club members are going down to London."

Red Star wheelchair athlete Meggan Dawson Farrell, who featured in the Evening Times as a hopeful for Glasgow 2014, will be carrying the Paralympic torch in Hackney a week on Wednesday.

And fellow wheelchair athlete Samantha Kinghorn will be in Edinburgh helping to carry the Paralympic Flame before it heads to London.

matty.sutton@ eveningtimes.co.uk