THE Queen’s Baton Relay is to visit Blackburn and Darwen on Saturday, July 16, on its way to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

It will stop at Blackburn Town Hall, Ewood Park and Darwen Market Square on its to Bolton.

The baton’s arrival in Birmingham will signal the start of the Commonwealth Games – the largest sporting event in the country for a decade - in time for the opening ceremony on July 28.

Ewood Park – home to Blackburn Rovers – is one of the few football stadiums in the country to receive it.

The local line-up has been split in to three sections – civic, community and celebration - and residents are being invited to cheer the baton through the borough.

For the civic element, the baton will be officially welcomed by dignitaries, including the Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council Cllr Phil Riley and the borough’s Mayor Cllr Suleman Khonat, on the steps of Blackburn Town Hall just after 4pm.

The next stage will see Blackburn Rovers Community Trust host invited sporting groups to welcome it at Ewood Park.

The final celebration phase at 5pm will see selected baton bearers relay it the from opposite Lidl’s store in Darwen to the Market Square where a celebration with live music and sporting activities will take place.

Cllr Riley said: “This is a chance for our residents to be a small part of history.

“We’ve worked hard to make the very most of the opportunity by arranging for the baton to stop at three places in our borough - Blackburn, Ewood and Darwen.

“Whether it’s joining us outside Blackburn Town Hall or in Darwen Market Square for the celebrations, I hope residents will come out to be part of the relay."

The visit is part of the final leg of the batons 294-day journey across the Commonwealth. Inside is a message from the Queen.

Gary Robinson, chief executive of Blackburn Rovers' Community Trust charity, said: “We are incredibly proud to be invited to be part of the Queen’s Baton Relay and to be one of the very few football grounds to be involved right across the UK is phenomenal. We’re really looking forward to it.”