Wirral's Paralympic tennis star Mark Eccleston has applauded the engin-eering brilliance of a specialist local wheelchair firm for helping to bring home a silver medal from Athens.

Mark, 34, joined fellow members of the British Paralympic Team for a special reception at Buckingham Palace on Monday.

The 34-year-old, who was born in St Helens but trains at Wirral Tennis Centre in Bidston, won silver in the inaugural Paralympic Quad Doubles event in Athens.

And after paying tribute to his coach Phil Leighton, his friends and family, Mark had a special word of praise for the team which provided his "wheels."

He said: "The guys and girls at Cyclone Mobility and Fitness - the Wirral-based company that makes my world-beating tennis wheel-chair - have really done me proud.

"Although I was a little disappointed not to win gold at Athens, it has nevertheless been another truly mem-orable year for me."

The Wirral wheelchair company specialises in the disabled market and is one of the leading equipment providers in the UK.

Managing director Stuart Dunne is wheelchair-bound following a road accident. Six months later, following intense rehabilitation and specialist care he emerged to face life beyond the hospital boun-daries.

He recalled how moving an NHS issue wheelchair was like pushing a Sherman Tank. But it was that which provided the inspiration behind the first Cyclone lightweight wheelchair, which was produced in 1989.

With singles gold medallist Peter Norfolk, Mark Eccleston met the Queen, in an event designed to celebrate the achievements of the most successful British Paraly-mpics team ever.

The Royal date followed last week's 'Parade of the Heroes' through Central London, which saw Mark tour London with 37 Team GB Paralympic and 47 Olympic Medallists.

He was on a float alongside another silver medallist from the Northwest, Olympic boxer Amir Khan, and members of Great Britain's bronze medal-winning men's wheelchair basketball team.