BOLTONIANS are being urged to nominate worthy friends and family to carry the Olympic Torch through the town.

As revealed last month by The Bolton News, the Olympic Torch will pass through the borough next May as part of its UK-wide tour.

Bolton is one of only two places in Greater Manchester — the other is the city of Manchester — chosen to host an evening celebration event, on Thursday, May 31, paid for by sponsors.

There will be entertainment shows where a cauldron will be lit from the Olympic Flame, marking the end of the day’s proceedings.

Organisers of the London Olympics are now on the hunt for 8,000 torchbearers to take part, with the initial 2,012 being chosen being they have done something amazing in their local community or have an inspirational tale to tell.

Cllr Cliff Morris, leader of Bolton Council, said: “I would encourage everyone to nominate people who they feel deserve the honour of being an official Olympic torchbearer.

“I know in Bolton we have a lot of inspirational residents and this really is a once-ina- lifetime opportunity to recognise them.”

Bolton is already connected to the Olympics as the inspiration for the official Olympic and Paralympic mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville, came from Bolton steel firm Watson Steel Structures, which has supplied thousands of tonnes of steel for the Olympic stadium.

The Olympic Flame will arrive in the UK from Greece on May 18, 2012, and the 70-day Torch Relay will start at Land’s End, Cornwall, on the morning of May 19, 2012.

It will arrive at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony.

Find out more about nominating someone to carry the torch, log on to london2012.com /olympictorchrelay before June 29.