Next year the whole world will be following the Olympic torch as it makes its way from Greece to London and on Friday, May 25th all attention will be focussed on Ross.

The Mayor Councillor David Ravenscroft was delighted at the news. He told the Gazette:?"I think this is really exciting, I am sure the people of Ross will come out to greet the flame as it is carried through."

"It is marvellous that the torch will be coming to Ross and it will be even better if people from the town are chosen to carry the torch. I will now be working with the various town organisations to ensure the torch gets the welcome it deserves."

The Olympic Flame will arrive in the UK on May 18th and torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame through Ledbury, Bartestree, Lugwardine, Hereford and Leominster on May 24th and the following day it will reach Ross. Representing peace, unity and friendship, the Flame will be carried by 8,000 inspirational torchbearers.

Local MP Jesse Norman who set up a facebook group demanding that the torch comes to the county welcomed the news that the Olympic Torch will pass through Hereford City and Ross-on-Wye. The announcement, made by the Chair of Olympics organising committee Seb Coe, comes after more than 170 local people signed up to his petition on facebook demanding "The 2012 Olympic Torch MUST pass through Hereford".

Mr Norman said "It is great news that on its 8,000 mile journey the Olympic Flame will travel through Herefordshire twice, and will visit both Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.

"I decided to set up the Facebook Group to see if other people felt as strongly about it as I did – the response has been fantastic."

The Ross Gazette tweeted the news on Monday as soon as it was announced and several people retweeted it. One reader, Nessa Brann said:?"very exciting stuff!"