CROWDS turned out on a sunny afternoon to cheer on the Queen's Jubilee Baton as it came through Ledbury.

People started to gather on either side of High Street at about 4pm on Wednesday, but had to wait patiently for about half an hour for its arrival.

The baton is being taken to towns and cities across the UK before arriving in Manchester for the Commonwealth Games, which open on Thursday, July 25.

Ledbury's mayor Noel Roberts and town crier William Turberfield were on hand to greet the runners as they came into town.

Police outriders cleared the traffic minutes before the baton arrived, carried by special athlete Lee Powell. It was passed on to Edwina Dickerson, of Gloucester, who took it on the next leg of its journey towards Hereford.

"Local heroes" from all over the country were selected to carry the baton in the relay. Among them are Ledbury's Graham Wood, Beverly Jones, Philip Powell, Robert Scholefield and Terence White.

However, because of organisational difficulties, it was not always possible to have local people carrying the baton in their own towns.