With many of the volunteers, Games Makers and contracted staff who have worked throughout London's showpiece sporting events being students or recent graduates, Deighton singled out the contribution of those people involved in the Further and Higher Education sector.

Talking exclusively to Podium at The Paralympic Ball, which celebrated the contribution of Paralympians to the Games, he said:

"Students have been an integral part in our Games Makers teams, both volunteers and in our paid staff who've been working for our contractors in lots of jobs."

Deighton, who is taking up the ministerial post of Commercial Secretary to the Treasury after the Games, added: "Of course we've used the education system to provide a lot of our facilities as well, for example, pre Games training camps.

"Everywhere you look the education system has played a part at the Games."

You can watch the full video interview with Paul Deighton below, where he also discusses the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. He was talking to Podium's Stuart Appleby at the Paralympic Ball fundraising event for the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Agitos Foundation.