Pupils of Elm Park Primary School were ecstatic when former Olympian Ben Hunt-Davis dropped by with his gold medal and torch in tow.

The rower from Romford who won gold in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 was a torch bearer when it passed through South Street, Romford on July 22.

Neree Sale, Elm Park’s ICT technician, said the Olympian gave 400 children a chance to pass round his gold medal and torch at the assembly.

He also showed the pupils pictures of himself with Prince William and Prince Harry at the rowing this summer.

The school ran a competition for the youngsters to come up with questions and allowed two from each year group to ask the best ones.

Neree said one child asked what he ate for breakfast and when he replied that he ate Weetabix every day, many of them gasped.

Another child asked how he felt when he won the medal and he said it had been a relief as he’d been nervous but also a wonderful feeling, as this was the first one.

Ben Hunt-Davis will act as an Olympic mentor for future athletes travelling to the Rio games in 2016.