COMMUNITIES on the local route of the Olympic Torch Relay as it makes a winding tour of Britain are preparing themselves for a rousing if brief encounter – and a significant amount of traffic disruption.

But they won't be the first local people to see it – this Wednesday (May 23) young Coleford Megan Jephcote (13) has the honour of carrying it through the streets of Painswick as it makes its way from Stroud to Gloucester – there's a live feed on http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay">www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay

The 24th, Thursday, is Gloucester's day, at least in the morning, with the torch relay restarting from the Docks at 8.15am, later travelling on to Forest ourtskirts Hartpury (9.25am), Corse and Staunton.

From there it heads to Hereford and Leominster before twisting back to Ross on Friday (May 25) where it gets a parade around 10am.

Monmouth is next in line on the 25th (1.30pm) and the torch heads on to Raglan and Abergavenny as it begins to tour Wales.