Jonathan Fox sent the Aquatics Centre into raptures when he became the first British champion in the pool at London 2012 with victory in the S7 100 metres backstroke.

Gold for the 21-year-old aptly nicknamed 'Foxy Bingo' was the pinnacle for the host nation who also claimed silver medals through Nyree Kindred in the S6 100m backstroke and Paralympic debutant Hannah Russell in the S12 400m freestyle.

The feelgood factor inside a raucous Aquatics Centre with their lusty rendition of 'God Save The Queen' was in contrast to the disappointment felt after the home nation's showing at the Olympics.

Comparisons between the two competitions are spurious given they are completely different events but at least today the spectators were given a British gold medal to cheer.

Fox was the clear favourite going into the final after lowering his own world record this morning to one minute 09.86 seconds.

The race was ultimately a duel between Fox and Yevheniy Bohodayko.

The Briton appeared to have sealed victory by the 75m mark but the Ukrainian came back with every stroke with Fox holding him off to touch in 1min 10.46secs to upgrade his silver medal from Beijing.

After leaving the water, Fox played to the ecstatic crowd, pumping his arms in the air to every part of the venue with a beaming Duchess of Cambridge looking on.

The Manchester-based swimmer admitted he had struggled at the end of the race when his opponent was closing in.

He said: "When I turned at 50 I was feeling good but the last 25 my legs blew up.

"You are always thinking in the back of your mind 'I can see the guy in lane five coming back at you' and you are dying inside and you just want to finish it.

"I just stuck to it and hit the wall fast."

Kindred was the fastest qualifier into the final in a new Paralympic record but last night Lu led from start to finish.

The Briton came back with each stroke but the Chinese swimmer held on to touch in 1:24.71, a new world record, with Kindred 1.52secs adrift to secure the first British medal in the pool.

Kindred said: "I am extremely happy with that race: a personal best time and a silver medal, I can't really ask for much more."

Russell only turned 16 a little over three weeks ago and last night fought out a private duel with Oxana Savchenko which saw her edged out by the Russian by 0.71 secs to finish in 4:38.60 for a six-second personal best.

Russell said: "To come here and medal was a bonus for me.

"I really just wanted to come here and PB and try to make as many finals as possible."