Council to honour Olympic heroes

Heather Fell won silver in Beijing this summer

Some of Devon's Olympic and Paralympic stars are to be honoured on with a civic reception which will be held by the County Council on Thursday.

Modern pentathlon silver medallist Heather Fell, who is from Tavistock, will be honoured at the event.

Swimmer and Kelly College student Louise Watkin, who won a silver and three bronze medals at the Paralympics in Beijing, will also be present.

The reception is at County Hall in Exeter at 1830 BST.

"Devon athletes played an important part in Great Britain's sporting success in Bejing and I wanted to congratulate them on their achievements," said the chairman of Devon County Council, Cllr John Rawlinson.

""I also feel we should pay tribute to the teams behind these athletes - the coaches, officials and parents who give up so much of their time and energy to ensure our athletes are given the best possible opportunities. "

"They are the unsung heroes behind every medal," he added.

Plymouth City Council is planning a similar event to honour divers Tom Daley and Tonia Couch.