Ju-jitsu lollipop lady to carry Olympic torch in Norfolk

A lollipop lady with a black belt in martial arts is set to carry the Olympic torch through Norfolk.

Grandmother Ena Mallett, 78, from Ranworth in Norfolk, received an email from the 2012 games organisers confirming she had been selected.

The widowed mother-of-two has been a lollipop lady outside Fairhaven Primary School, in South Walsham, for 27 years.

She said: "I feel very honoured that people should think so much of me that they would want to nominate me."

Mrs Mallett, who started learning karate to keep fit in 1979, has a 7th dan black belt in Spirit Combat International ju-jitsu.

As well as running the crossing patrol twice a day, she also holds weekly martial arts classes in the village.

Mrs Mallett said: "I'm looking forward to doing this for Norfolk. It will be a very proud moment. It's great that 11 people felt they wanted to nominate me."

'Absolutely fantastic'

Her son, Jonathan, 45, a crane operator, said: "I don't think there's many 78-year-olds who do as much as my mother.

"For my mother to be nominated to carry the Olympic torch is absolutely fantastic."

More than 8,000 people have been chosen nationally.

Background checks still have to be carried out before final confirmation of becoming a torchbearer is sent out by March.

The relay will start on 19 May and will see about 110 people carry the torch each day before it reaches the Olympic Stadium in Stratford in time for the opening ceremony of the games on 27 July.