A FULL civic reception will greet East Lancashire’s returning Olympic hero Steven Burke when he returns to East Lancashire next week.

Town leaders in Colne met yesterday to finalise details of the official welcome for the 20-year-old cycle ace, who clinched a bronze medal in the individual cycling pursuit in Bejing.

The former Park Primary and Park High pupil will be feted from the moment he steps off the train at Colne Railway Station.

He will be greeted by Pendle council’s cycling officer Patricia Wilson and taken by an open-top car to the town centre.

Once there he will undertake a lap of honour, around the route of Colne’s grand prix circuit, surrounded by a phalanx of cyclists.

Steven will then make his way to Colne Town Hall, where he will be met by Mayor of Pendle Coun Shelagh Derwent, council leader Coun John David, Colne area committee chairman Coun Sharon Davies and Colne Town Council chairman Coun Dorothy Lord.

He will be presented with a bouqet of flowers and a momento of his Olympic prowess. Details of the momento have yet to be finalised.

Coun Ann Kerrigan, Pendle council’s cycling champion, is hoping that the town turns out in droves to welcome Steven home.

She said: “We want to honour Steven because we think what he has done is fantastic. And we also hopefully can help to promote cycling and get people on their bikes, just like Steven has.”

Steven is expected to return to the UK on Monday and arrive back in Colne at around 2.45pm, with the parade and town hall reception following shorty afterwards.

Council chiefs have been in contact with the cyclist’s family in Colne and his parents Sharon and Alvin, who have been on a pre-booked holiday to Bulgaria during the games.

The festivities are also expected to extend to Colne Royal British Legion, where proud grandad Vinnie Burke, 74, celebrated Steven’s medal win with friends over the weekend.

Before embarking on his Olympic odyssey, Steven played football for Foulridge Minors and later attended Nelson and Colne College.

He took up cycling aged 14 and notched up a host of junior titles as a member of the Sports City Velo Club in Manchester.