Video: On foot and by steam train, the Olympic torch arrives in Whitby, Scarborough and Hull

Torchbearer David State stopped on the leg between Marske-by-the-Sea and Loftus to propose to his girlfriend, Christine Langham.

Today’s leg of the relay brought glorious sunshine as the flame was passed along the Yorkshire coast.

PE teacher Kelly Williams, 25, was watched by thousands of well-wishers including members of a local pirates’ society as she ran the flame into the centre of Whitby, in the shadow of the seaside town’s famous abbey.

Traders said the bright sunshine and warm early morning temperatures meant the torch brought with it the best weather of the summer so far to the town.

Arriving at Whitby railway station to cheers and applause, Miss Williams, from nearby Scarborough, ran straight on to the platform to a waiting steam engine, the Green Knight.

After pausing for pictures on the footplate, she boarded the train along with 220 local schoolchildren for the next 20 miles of the relay across the North York Moors - Britain’s biggest expanse of heather moorland.

Earlier, the relay had set off from Middlesbrough’s famous Transporter Bridge on Day 31 of its tour around Britain and Ireland.

The train headed out of Whitby to more cheers.

Its first stop was Grosmont - HQ of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway - where the famous engine Sir Nigel Gresley coupled up to take it to its final destination, Pickering.

The Whitby Pirates said they were overjoyed the torch had come to their town and Whitby Mayor John Freeman said: “It’s a marvellous turn-out, weather perfect - it couldn’t be better.”

Asked whether he had expected such a big turn-out, he said: “It’s come as quite a surprise because it’s been fairly low-key in Whitby up to now. Just the sheer rolling effect of seeing the torch come through the town has generated more and more excitement.”

On the platform, Rooney Massara, 69, who lives in Pickering and represented Great Britain in rowing in the 1972 Munich Olympics, said it was a proud day.

Mr Massara said: “My father took me when I was five years old to the 1948 Olympics at Wembley and have I vague distant memories of the Olympic Stadium.

“That must have given me an interest in the Olympics from then on.

“For it to come to Whitby and Pickering like this seems to make a full circle for me.

“I think it’s wonderful.”

The Mayor of Pickering, William Oxley, said: “For Pickering it’s just a chance to be part of history.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the people to be part of the biggest international sporting event in the world.

“The town is really up for it.”

According to the official Torch Relay website, Mr State, 25, is from Redcar and volunteers as a special constable.

In his biography it says: “Since joining the Beavers at a young age, each year I have pushed myself to give as much as I can to my community.

“Going through the Scout movement meant I always enjoyed and actively helped with programmes designed around helping and improving people’s quality of life.

“Ten years on I have raised nearly £10,000 for charity and that figure will only increase this year as I am completing four charity runs with the final run being the Great North Run.”

Mr State is also a volunteer emergency ambulance technician with the British Red Cross.