SEVEN Olympic heroes from the Beijing Olympic Games were welcomed back at Oxford Brookes University.

Few educational institutions in Britain can have produced as many Olympic rowers as the university in Headington.

And Brookes's own magnificent seven — including gold medallist Steve Williams — returned to thank their old rowing coach and receive the city's Certificate of Honour from the Lord Mayor Susanna Pressel.

Students and school children from the newly opened Oxford Academy in Littlemore, which Brookes sponsors, were invited to join the celebrations on Monday.

Youngsters also took part in a fun 200m relay on rowing machines.

Steve Williams won gold for the second time in the men's coxless four, to join a select band of oarsmen to win gold in successive games.

Former Brookes students Alastair Heathcote, Alex Partridge and Tom Lucy won silver in the men's eight whilst Carla Ashford and Caroline O'Connor competed in the women's eights and Richard Chambers in the men's lightweight fours.

Steve Williams, who began rowing aged 13 at Monkton Combe School in Bath, said: "Before I came to Brookes I had hardly won anything.

|From the time I was here, I've hardly stopped winning. When I came I didn't really know what I was doing with my rowing, but I left an experienced and streetwise rower.

"I've always been very proud to call myself a Brookes boy. We are all proud of our roots."

Brookes is now hoping to build on its Beijing success by launching an appeal to fund a £1.5 redevelopment of is rowing base at Bowbridge Boathouse, Cholsey.