CROWDS of thousands lined the streets this morning to welcome the Olympic Torch relay runners to Dunstable.
Despite it being a grey Monday morning there was a carnival atmosphere in the town centre as locals turned out in their droves to cheer on the torch parade and catch a glimpse of the Olympic flame.
Young and old began securing their places from 6.30am to make sure they caught a glimpse of the runners carrying the torch along Luton Road, Church Street and High Street North.
Amongst the runners were Penny Green from Eaton Bray, Pitstone’s Katrina Blunt, and former rugby player Matt King, of Wixams, near Elstow, who was left paralysed after sustaining a serious spinal injury in 2004.
After starting Day 52 of the torch relay in the centre of Luton, the torch crossed over into Dunstable at about 7.45am, with the crowds cheering the torchbearers every step of the way.
The Dunstable leg ended at 8.05am at French’s Avenue, where the torch switched to ‘convoy mode’ to make its way to Milton Keynes.
For the full story and more pictures, see this week’s Dunstable Gazette, out on Wednesday.