Even so, Dr Eastlund hopes that he will soon be able to hand on the torch to someone who can make real use of it.

ECONOMIST: Nuclear waste

Multiple gold shards are used at the elbow to focus the eye on the arm, with a final shard continuing down to the cuff and the hand holding the torch.

BBC: London 2012: Will the Olympic Games be a stylish affair?

When the flame arrived in Nottingham on Thursday evening, Torvill and Dean carried it across the ice at the National Ice Centre and performed a specially-choreographed routine with the torch in hand.

BBC: Olympic torch: Torvill and Dean skate with 2012 flame