A post box in Teddington has been painted gold after Mo Farah sealed his place in athletics history and won his second Olympic gold medal in the men’s 5,000m final.


Royal Mail also released a stamp today commemorating his magical victory on Saturday, August 11, and repainted the post box, in Broad Street, as a permanent tribute.


Farah trained at the nearby St Mary’s University’s endurance performance centre between 2001 and 2010 before moving to the USA.


This is the second post box that has been painted gold after Farah’s first win in the 10,000m led to another in neighbouring Isleworth, where he grew up, being given a special Olympic makeover.


Farah has chosen the second post box near Sweatshop, in Broad Street, where he used to work.

Kieran Turner with Helen Reid, 24, from Scotland, said: “We came here just for the Olympics and thought we should drop by to see the post box on our way back.”


The 29-year-old became only the seventh man in history – and the first Briton - to secure Olympic double gold medals in the 10,000m and 5,000m.


He arrived in west London at the age of 11 as a Somali refugee and was introduced to athletics by his PE teacher Alan Watkinson at Feltham Community College.


He has been a familiar face in the Bushy Park run and at St Mary’s University, in Strawberry Hill, where he often returns to say hello to the staff.


The specially designed stamps, which are being produced every time a British athlete wins a gold medal, will go on sale from today.


Anne Davy, from Hampton, said: “I was late posting these letters but to come here was a lovely surprise. He was such a darling when he won, open-mouthed, eyes bigger than saucers, you just wanted to hug him.”