Robb Sleeman was tapped on the shoulder by Olympic committee chief.

When the chairman of Honiton and District Carnival was selected to be a volunteer at the London 2012 Olympics he was in for a real treat.

Robb Sleeman, 27, attended the technical rehearsal for the critically acclaimed opening ceremony and says: “It was amazing.

“I have never seen anything quite so entertaining and brilliantly executed - although Honiton Carnival comes close.”

Mr Sleeman, a former King’s School student, works for EDF Energy and arranges new electricity connections for large commercial customers, including the Olympics.

He was nominated to be a volunteer by EDF, one of the games’ main sponsors.

“I was accepted as an Olympic volunteer in 2011 following the application process and an interview in Plymouth,” he said.

“I was assigned to a role in the event services team in the Olympic park at Stratford.”

Mr Sleeman played a key role in looking after the thousands of spectators who visited the park each day.

His tasks included checking tickets, meeting and greeting visitors and crowd control.

“As I was assigned the late shifts, my favourite job was to say good bye to everyone as they left, high-fiving the kids and making sure everyone left with a smile on their faces - and in the right direction,” Mr Sleeman told the Midweek Herald.

And his efforts won him very high praise.

He said: “On one of the evenings I was on the megaphone saying ‘Jubilee Line to the left’ when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“I turned to find Lord Sebastian Coe standing next to me. He said ‘You’re doing a great job, by the way’.

“It was probably my favourite moment from the experience.”

Mr Sleeman admits it was a “long and tiring” time, but says: “It was great to be part of it all.

“I hope to bring some of the cheer and success back to Honiton Carnival and am looking forward to working with one of my fellow volunteers, a freelance graphic designer from Somerset, on new promotional material and website for the carnival.”