HEREFORD City Council are looking at putting on a big event to celebrate golden boy Sascha Kindred’s astonishing achievement at the Rio Paralympics.

Only four people in the country have won more Paralympic Games medals than Kindred’s 13, with the 38-year-old’s haul including seven gold.

Kindred’s success in the SM6 200m individual medley on Monday night was the start of a golden evening of swimming for Team GB, with Ellie Simmonds and Suzie Rodgers also winning gold shortly afterwards.

But it looked like Kindred might not even have made the final after he was initially disqualified following his heat.

It was adjudged that the City of Hereford Swimming Club representative had caused a “technical infringement” with his leg kicks during the first leg.

British Swimming immediately appealed the decision and argued Kindred is allowed to drag one of his legs through the water due to having cerebral palsy, resulting in only the right hand side of his body working properly.

Kindred was reinstated and won the final in a world record time of 2 minutes 38.47 seconds – his last ever Paralympics race.

“The City Council want to take a lead in organising an event for him,” said the Mayor of Hereford, Cllr Jim Kenyon.

“We are happy to do anything to welcome him back to Hereford – whatever event he wants us to do, we’ll do it.

“To do what he has done over the years is awesome.”

Kindred, who made his Paralympics Games debut at Atlanta in 1996, admitted that he cried when he heard he had been disqualified.

“I was sobbing because I thought that was going to be my last swim and I didn’t want it to end like that,” said Kindred.

“I was in a bad place and I had a couple of coaches come up to me and say, ‘look you need to focus and you need to prepare as if you’re preparing for a final.

“We’re going to lodge an appeal against the decision and you just need to get your head down.

“It was only at about 1.30pm [Brazilian time] when I was in my apartment that I learned I had been reinstated.

“I had to lift myself up and, wow, what an incredible day it was.

“It was mixed with a lot of emotions, but everything went right [in the final].

“It was amazing.”

Kindred thanked everyone in Herefordshire for all the support they have shown him over the years.

“I’ve always had support from everyone in Leominster and loads of people have wished me luck," he said.

“I’ve had massive help from everyone at Halo and everyone from Hereford.

“Now I’m bringing a gold medal back to the city.”

Kindred’s wife, Nyree, who has also enjoyed a successful Paralympic swimming career before deciding to retire from the sport, stayed at home in Belmont to watch the race.

And she was joined by her five-year-old daughter Ella, who was woken up by her mum screaming at the television.

“I spoke to Nyree and we were both in a bit of shock – it was a bit weird because we didn’t know what to say,” said Sascha.

“Nyree was screaming at the TV and woke Ella up, so Ella saw the last 25 metres.

“She’s into her swimming and understands it all, she’s very proud of me.”

Kindred says he’s ‘99.9 per cent sure’ Rio will be his last Paralympic Games, but he hasn’t ruled out competing at next year’s World Championships in Mexico City.

“I’m not going to be like Sir Steve Redgrave and say ‘shoot me if you see me in the water again’ and I’m not going to say that I’m retiring, but I’m 99.9 per cent certain I won’t be going to Tokyo [the next Paralympics in 2020],” said Kindred.

“But I may do the Worlds, I’m still world champion, but I’ve had a lot of injuries over the years and I have to look after my body.”

Kindred, who received his gold medal on Tuesday evening, is set to fly back to the UK next Wednesday. Shooting star James Bevis unfortunately did not claim a medal in the mixed 10m air rifle prone event.