Over 40 athletes from three sports have settled into the preparation camp at the University over the past few days with more sports soon to join them.

Footballers, archers and shooters rubbed shoulders in Bath yesterday.

Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that ParalympicsGB have chosen the University of Bath to be their preparation base for London 2012.

“We are proud and privileged to be hosting the British team and we look forward to working with the British Paralympic Association on all fronts, including sports science research.

“We know that both the University and the city of Bath will roll out the red carpet and make our British Paralympic athletes feel at home,” she added. “We will also strive to ensure that Bath’s selection to host the British team will leave a lasting legacy for disability sport in the area.”

The University’s preparation camp is being overseen by ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Craig Hunter and Deputy Chef de Mission of Performance Penny Briscoe.

Briscoe, paid tribute to the lottery funding which has made such a state-of-the-art camp possible.

“We have raised the bar in our preparations in this four year cycle”, she said. “But so, too, have other nations.

“A big difference for Paralympic sport since Beijing has definitely been the uplift in lottery funding”.

Athletes at Bath are using the £30 million Sports Training Village and on-campus accommodation. A large marquee area has been erected to replicate the kind of dining facility they will encounter once in the Paralympic Village at Stratford.

Briscoe who has also assembled a team of world class support staff including physiotherapists, sport scientists and operational staff added “It is all about creating a multi-sport base environment which replicates some the Games-time environment so that it is more familiar to both athletes and staff.”

Other ParalympicsGB athletes are training at home and overseas this week for the Games which begin on 29th August and run until the 9th September.