Revealed: Route the Olympic Flame will take through North East Lincolnshire

ALL aboard for the Olympic express!

Today we can officially reveal the route the historic Olympic Torch procession will take through North East Lincolnshire as it makes its epic journey around Britain ahead of the Games this summer.

And, it is safe to say, it's time here will be unique.

Not only will the everlasting flame be visible to thousands as torchbearers abseil down Grimsby's iconic Dock Tower, but it will also be carried on the coastal light railway, as it makes tracks for its overnight rest in Cleethorpes.

Today, maps of the route are being printed here in your Grimsby Telegraph and a street-by-street guide to the 8,000-mile journey will go live online at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay, to allow you to pick your spot to witness the event.

And the countdown has begun for torchbearers who will soon find out which leg of the marathon relay they will run with the Olympic Flame.

Each bearer will have a torch which will be ignited by the previous torchbearer.

The Flame will begin its journey through North East Lincolnshire in Habrough Road, Immingham and will be carried through the town's Bluestone Lane and Washdyke Lane, past the Civic Centre and Oasis Academy Immingham before being carried along Pelham Road and on to Kings Road.

It will be brought into Grimsby by convoy along the A180.

During this stretch of the journey the Flame will not be visible to the public, but will be unveiled once more as it is carried down the exterior of the Dock Tower. As torchbearers head away from the docks they will continue to carry the Flame at Riby Square in Grimsby.

Runners will take it into Cleethorpes before travelling on the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway and finally into Meridian Park Showground for the evening celebrations on Tuesday, June 26 – a month before the London Olympics opens on July 27.

Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council Councillor Chris Shaw and owner of Cleethorpes Light Railway, said it was an "honour" for the Flame to be carried on one of his engines.

He said: "The Flame will give North East Lincolnshire a global audience and put the area at the heart of the celebrations exactly a month before the Games.

"The Cleethorpes Light Railway opened in 1948 – the same year the Olympics was last held in Britain.

"We are the only light railway to carry the Torch. We will have one of our top drivers in charge of the train that day."

The Flying Scotsman is the only other train to carry the Olympic Flame.

Torchbearer Lee Blaymire, 24, said he was excited and nervous about the chance to carry the Torch on the relay through North East Lincolnshire. He was nominated by one of his colleagues after his outstanding success as an athlete was ended by a series of injuries.

He was a former Lincolnshire county champion in long-jump, javelin and 200m sprint.

The former Matthew Humberstone pupil, who now works at King George V Stadium, said: "It is great for the young people of the area. For them it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Some of them have been coming up to me and telling me they are impressed that I will be carrying the Flame.

"I hope I don't let it go out or sneeze on it."

Councillor Mick Burnett, portfolio holder for health, wellbeing, tourism and culture and deputy leader, said: "Announcing the streets that the Flame will travel down has brought the route through North East Lincolnshire to life.

"We now know where people can line the streets to welcome the inspirational torchbearers to our area.

"As the run is in the evening and early morning we anticipate disruption to businesses to be minimal, but we will soon be communicating with businesses along the route to help them understand how they will be affected.

"I hope that our local communities, businesses, schools and visitors will join in the celebrations and get behind what will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the spectacle of the Olympic Torch Relay."

The Flame will be carried through Louth on Wednesday and will later parade through Mablethorpe.

An NELC technical officer added that once details of the times for viewing the Flame were made public, they will be announced in the Grimsby Telegraph.

He said: "The convoy will be going at a walking pace, which will hold up traffic, so we will be advising people not to drive.

"Obviously, driving through Cleethorpes on Tuesday, June 26, will be a problem, but we are talking with Humberside Police.

"We are day 39 of the relay, so there will be a chance to learn from the 38 previous days and put measures in place.

"The event at Cleethorpes Meridian Park is ticket only, so people should not turn up hoping to get in unless they have one."

Details of the show will be released over the next few months together with arrangements for ticket allocation.

Are you joining in?

What are you planning for the Olympics and the arrival of the Flame procession? Let us know, by e-mailing newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk