Olympic torch route revealed

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THE ROUTE the Olympic Torch Relay will take on its journey through Redditch has been revealed - but not a single person from the borough will get to carry it through the town.

Thousands of people are set to line the borough's streets to greet the arrival of the iconic flame on Sunday, July 1 as part of its 70 day tour of more than 1,000 UK destinations.

The flame will reach the area just after 9.15am on the morning where it will be carried through Earlswood before making it way to Redditch Town Centre for 9.45am. It will then be carried from Grove Street, up Alcester Street, through Church Green, down Unicorn Hill, up Plymouth Road and through Evesham Road in Headless Cross where it will finish for a short section.

The relay will then continue through the Astwood Bank section starting on Evesham Road at the junction with Dagtail Lane and ending on The Ridgeway. It will then travel to Alcester where the torch will be picked up at Birmingham Road and carried along School Road, Henley Street, High Street, Swan Street and Evesham Street before the torch continues its route onto Evesham.

Some of the 8,000 torchbearers have also been revealed. They include former Kingsley College pupil and paralympic hopeful Glenn Scott who will carry the flame along part of the journey through Earlswood.

Webheath resident and manager of Headless Cross under-11s Simon Forrest will get to take the torch through Astwood Bank and 23-year-old Holly Parker will be one of the torchbearers as it makes its way through Alcester.

But not a single Redditch resident has so far been chosen to take the torch on its journey through Redditch Town Centre.

Redditch MP Karen Lumley said the news was very disappointing and she would be contacting Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, to find out why.

But she added it would still be a great day for Redditch.

"It's fantastic the torch is coming through the heart of Redditch, it's a real feather in our cap, and I hope residents will turn out in force to cheer it on as it comes through our town."

Coun Sue Adams, the district's Alcester Town Olympic co-ordinator, added they would be ready to welcome the torch with enthusiasm and celebration.

"This will be a fantastic occasion, and Alcester is the ideal family location to get close up and personal to the Olympic Flame."