THE London 2012 Games came with the mission statement to “Inspire a Generation” and youngsters in Worcester certainly seem to have been enthralled by the summer festival of sport.

Once the curtain finally fell on the Olympics and Paralympics last month the talk immediately turned to ensuring a lasting sporting legacy was left.

Encouragingly that legacy is already being felt by some of the city’s sports shops and clubs.

Oli Davey, owner of Runaround Sports in Deansway, has seen more youngsters than usual coming through the door in the hope of becoming the next Mo Farah or Jessica Ennis.

“We have had more parents and children come in after junior shoes and track spikes,” he said.

“More spikes have sold when you would not expect people to be buying them as the season is so far gone.”

He said a general uplift in trade was apparent during the Games themselves, with the range of official Team GB kit proving popular with shoppers of all ages.

Meanwhile the owners of Worcester Cycle Centre in College Street have also been busier thanks to Olympic fever, with Tour de France winner and time trial gold medalist Bradley Wiggins being a big inspiration.

Erica Blott said: “The sale of road bikes has been extremely strong and some companies are struggling to cope with orders but it is all good.

“One thing that has been nice is dads buying road bikes and then buying their sons bikes and going out together.”

Worcester Athletic Club, which meets at the Nunnery Wood Sports Complex, experienced an increase in its membership over the summer as a knock-on effect.

The club administrator Derek Cowdrey said: “We are constantly getting people ringing us and contacting us.

“Typically I would get one or two queries a week and that has probably gone up to three, four or five a week. We have increased our membership over the summer more than we would have done without the Olympics.”