Hero’s Welcome for Jenson Button

Jenson Button has been given a hero’s welcome at his first appearance in Britain since winning the Formula One world championship.

The 29-year-old was greeted by fans at the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, where he was attending a promotional event.

Around 200 fans queued from early in the morning for a chance to meet the new king of the track.

Among them was Martin Kemp from Ashford, Kent, who said: “The first ten laps on Sunday were awesome. He proved he’s a true champion.

A few renditions of the Queen power ballad We Are The Champions were belted out, in honour of Button’s victory yell over the team radio upon crossing the finish line at Interlagos.

Button himself was on good form, as ever. The man is clearly running on adrenalin. Although he had a bed on his Embraer Legacy jet, he claimed not to have slept a wink and, after a quick shower to freshen up, he was answering the public’s questions with the same honesty and wide-eyed cheeriness that charmed the world in Brazil.