The 50-year-old from Hampshire, who claimed gold at the quad singles event at the Athens 2004 Paralympics before defending his crown at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, won a competitive final 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

An enthralling opening set saw Norfolk came back from 2-0 down before Wagner built on a 4-1 second set lead to level the contest.

Norfolk powered his way through the opening games of the third and final set to establish a 5-0 lead before Wagner rallied to suggest that there might be an exciting climax.

However, Norfolk showed enough to cross the line as he wrapped up his fifth title since 2003.

The result means that world number two Norfolk will close Wagner at the top of the world rankings and it was a morale boosting victory for him against the man who is likely to be his biggest challenger for gold at the London 2012 Paralympics next year, with the event set to take place at new courts being constructed at Eton Manor.

While Norfolk won his fifth British Open title, the unstoppable Esther Vergeer of the Netherlands clinched her eleventh successive British Open women's singles title after easing to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over her compatriot and world number two Jiske Griffioen.

Griffioen engaged Vergeer in a string of long rallies as the two players contested the final for the second year in a row, but ultimately Vergeer proved too strong as she took her incredible winning streak to 422 matches.

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