What do you give a 19-year-old with two gold medals? An open-top bus parade? A firework display? Or a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes?

How about all three?

The people of Mansfield turned out in their thousands tonight to welcome home Rebecca Adlington, who became Britain's most successful Olympic swimmer in a century when she claimed a freestyle double at the Beijing Games.

Adlington arrived back at Heathrow yesterday in a gold-nosed jumbo jet with the rest of Britain's Olympic team.

Today she was picked up from her family home in a golden Rolls Royce and taken to a press conference at Mansfield's civic centre where the town's mayor, Tony Egginton, gave her the gold-coloured handmade shoes, worth £460.

She is then took centre stage on an open top bus tour through the town, accompanied by her mum Kay, 48, dad Stephen, 50, and two sisters Laura, 21, and 24-year-old Chloe.

After the bus reached Mansfield’s market place, her two races were replayed on a giant screen before a fireworks display. She is later due at a private party back at the civic centre.

Adlington told a packed press conference at Mansfield District Council’s Civic Centre: “I wasn’t expecting this. To come back with two gold medals is just amazing.

“I think the races have sunk in but I don’t think the world record will sink in for a long long time.

“Mum and dad play the races over and over again and I say to dad that I’ve seen it.

“It’s just been so overwhelming."

The swimming centre where her mother taught her to swim as a child is to be renamed in her honour as is a local pub - to be called the Adlington Arms - even though she barely drinks.

Mr Egginton said: “To reach the very top of any sport requires years of hard work, focus and complete dedication, all traits which Rebecca has in abundance.

“What’s more, this success couldn’t have happened to a nicer girl. Rebecca is a credit to herself, her family and Mansfield, both in and out of the pool. She truly is the pride of Mansfield.”

Adlington took the Olympics by storm, first winning the women’s 400m freestyle before breaking swimming's oldest world record in the 800m. Her time of 8:14.10 was 2.12s under the mark set by Janet Evans of the United States 19 years ago.

Adlington, as she so disarmingly revealed, was spurred by the promise of more designer shoes if she won her races. "I loooove shoes. I want one pair for every outfit. I've got well over 30 pairs but you can never have enough," she said.