A CEREMONIAL torch from the 1948 London Olympics has sold for £2,000 in Swindon.

The 18in aluminium piece, adorned with cut-out Olympic rings was from the estate of Alick Pirie whose son Gordon, from Leeds, won a silver medal in the 5,000m at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

Valuer Chris Albury, from the Dominic Winter auction house in Swindon, said: "I'm very pleased with that price.

"It's a nice memento of the history of the Olympics in London one which we hope will be continued for the games in 2012."

It is understood Mr Pirie senior, who ran with South London Harriers, carried the torch through the streets of London in the build-up to the 1948 games.

"Gordon's father was a cross-country runner but his son, who became much better, was not famous at that point," Mr Albury said. The torch was sold to Steven Gilbert, of Sign Post Memorabilia, a sports paraphernalia trader based in north London.

The hammer price was £1,700, to which a buyer's premium was added.

Also sold yesterday was a press pass for the 1936 Berlin Olympics belonging to a man called Neville Bloch, from Birmingham.

It rocketed past its £150 to £200 estimate, fetching £775 (including buyer's premium).

The pass was sold by a private vendor to a private collector together with an accompanying pass for Mr Bloch's wife.

Mr Albury said: "We have not been able to establish exactly who Mr Bloch was or who he wrote for."