Britain’s first Paralympic champion Margaret Maughan has died aged 91.

Maughan took up archery as part of her rehabilitation process when she became paralysed after a car accident abroad in 1959.

She was then selected to compete at the 1960 Paralympic Games in Rome where she won Britain’s first Paralympic gold medal in archery, and another in swimming. 

Maughan went on to compete at four further Games, and at London 2012 she lit the flame at the opening ceremony.

In an interview with the BBC in 2012 she recalled her winning experience in Rome.

She said: "All of the competitors had shot their six arrows but nobody was told what their scores were.

"I just went off and joined my other friends and went to support everyone else.

"The day went on and we were put on the coaches to go home and somebody said 'Where's Margaret Maughan? She's needed for a medal ceremony.’

"So they had to find my wheelchair amongst all the others, lift me out, and off we went to a very nice little podium with ramps to get up to the first, second and third places and to my amazement I was in the gold medal position."