The 19-year-old showed no regard for reputations as he stormed away from the field to win the men's 100m - T44 in 10.90, a new Paralympic record.

He came into the Games as the T44 world record holder and proved he can more than handle the occasion.

I haven't been nervous. I was doing my strides in warm-up and I was ready. I felt on form, I knew I had it in me.

Jonnie Peacock

Only USA athlete Richard Browne could get close to the Briton, claiming silver in 11.03.

Pistorius, the defending champion, was never in contention, finishing fourth behind fellow South African and room-mate Arnu Fourie, but was quick to embrace Peacock at the finish.

Peacock said: 'I haven't been nervous. I was doing my strides in warm-up and I was ready. I felt on form, I knew I had it in me.

'I am a little bit [disappointed I didn't go faster]. The form I've been in in the last few weeks it is a bit of a shame. But to come out on this stage it really was a mental battle more than anything else.'

Meanwhile, British team-mate David Weir continued his relentless pursuit of quadruple gold in London with yet another masterful performance, adding the 800m - T54 crown to his 1500m and 5000m titles.

The 33-year-old, the defending champion, tracked China's Zhang Lixin for the first lap before attacking with 250m to go.

Urged on by the whole stadium, he moved level with Zhang on the home straight before racing past to win in 1:37.63.

Victory took Weir's total haul of Paralympic golds to five, having won Great Britain's only two in Athletics in Beijing four years ago.

Earlier in the evening, Hannah Cockroft completed a 'breathtaking' summer by winning the 200m - T34 final, setting a new Paralympic record to claim her second gold medal.

This summer has been breathtaking. It's been amazing, a dream come true. This is what I worked for four years for and I've actually done it now.

Hannah Cockroft

The 20-year-old, the world record-holder and already the 100m champion, finished in 31.90, more than two seconds clear of the field.

Cockroft said: 'This summer has been breathtaking. It's been amazing, a dream come true. This is what I worked for four years for and I've actually done it now. '

Russian Evgenii Shvetcov claimed his third gold medal of London 2012, adding the 800m - T36 crown to his 100m and 400m titles

Chinese triple jumper Li Duan won the crowd's hearts if not the gold medal with his antics.

The 34-year-old, competing in the F11 class, lined up on the runaway still wearing his training trousers before whipping them off just before he started his run-up.

It brought cheers of delight every time from the crowd, who then had to quickly fall silent, with the event demanding quiet to enable the athletes to hear the instructions of their guides.

There was a silver lining for Li, who finished second behind champion Denis Gulin of Russia. Li's longest jump was 12.75m, while Gulin launched himself out to 12.91m.

Li said: 'This is my fourth Paralympic Games. To me, the winning part is being able to attend my fourth Games. I am proud, even more proud of myself that I am able to get a medal.'

France's Assia El Hannouni added 200m - T12 gold to her 400m title, while China's Chen Junfei won the 200m - T38 along with compatriots Zhao Xu in the 100m - T46 and Huang Lisha in the 200m - T53. Ukraine's Roman Pavlyk won the 200m - T36 and compatriot Iurii Tsaruk the 200m - T35.

Cuban Omara Durand won the 100m - T13, while Tunisia's Mahmoud Khaldi took the 400m - T12 title.

Marlou van Rhijn won the 200m - T44 and Jeremy Campbell the Discus - F44. Birgit Kober took the Shot Put - F32/33/34 title, with Russia's Nikita Prokhorov the Shot Put - F46 and China's Mi Na won her second gold of the Games in the Discus - F37.

Compatriots Wang Zhiming took the Shot Put - F40 title and Liu Ming the Javelin - F57/58 crown, while Algeria's Mohamed Berrahal won the Discus - F51/52/53.

The Paralympic Games spirit was in full force as Brazil's Yohansson Nascimento stubbornly refused to give up despite pulling up injured.

The 24-year-old, a gold medal contender in the 100m - T46, saw his dreams ended early in the race by an apparent hamstring injury.

But, fighting back tears and to huge roars from the crowd, Nascimento hauled himself to his feet and limped agonisingly slowly toward the line.

He collapsed to the ground as he crossed the line and was taken off the track in a wheelchair.