THE sound of pealing bells rang out across Dorset communities as the Olympics were welcomed in.

Church groups, residents and servicemen and women aboard the RFA Mounts Bay at Portland Harbour came together to greet the first day of London 2012 at 8.12am.

They joined in the national Ring the Bell campaign, which saw bells across the country, including Big Ben, chiming in unison.

The ship’s bell on RFA Mounts Bay rang out from the vessel’s bridge for three minutes for the first time ever.

Sophie Pickford, 21, a communications rating and the youngest crewmember, was selected to ring the bell.

She said: “It’s quite an honour to be taking part in something like this. To be representing the RFA makes it worthwhile.”

Mounts Bay is stationed at Portland Port and is supporting the maritime policing of the sailing events.

The Reverend Tim Gomm led the countdown and supervised the ringing and the bells rang out from 8.12 to 8.15am.

The sound of ringing bells caused a stir in Wyke Regis. Borough councillors Lucy Hamilton and Kate Wheller and the Reverend Deb Smith joined in.

Around 400 bells provided a deafening wake-up for Weymouth at Furzy Cliffs.

Dorchester Town Crier Alistair Chisholm composed a special cry for the occasion and rang his own bell.

Competition starts tomorrow

OLYMPIC competition will get underway tomorrow in three of the 10 sailing classes.

British defending champion Ben Ainslie will be starting the action in the Finn heavyweight dinghy class.

The triple Olympic gold and silver medallist has a lot of expectation resting on his shoulders, for a win at the London 2012 Games would put him in the history books as the world’s most successful sailor.

Finn racing will begin at 12pm on the Nothe course, where the women’s Elliott 6m Match Racing class will also start its Round Robin events.

Dorset born and bred contenders Lucy MacGregor, Kate MacGregor and Annie Lush are hoping to make every race count in the longest running event.

The Elliott 6m replaces the Yngling class and has both its debut and swansong at London 2012 as it has not been chosen for the Rio 2016 Games.

Meanwhile Team GB defending champions in the Star class, Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson, have their first two races scheduled on the Weymouth Bay West course from 1.30pm.

This is also where the Finn sailors will undertake their second race of the day.