Commonwealth Games: Queen's Baton Relay reaches Yorkshire

The baton contains the Queen's message to the Commonwealth

The Queen's Baton Relay is set to arrive in Yorkshire as part of its UK tour ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The relay, which began with a five-day tour of London, will travel through Sheffield, Rotherham, Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds on Tuesday.

A celebration in Leeds's Millennium Square will conclude the day's events.

The baton will then travel to East and North Yorkshire on Wednesday

One of those chosen to carry the baton in Bradford will be 81-year-old Mike Healey.

Mr Healey, who founded the children's cycling group at East Bradford Cycling Club, carried the Commonwealth baton back in 1958 and was also chosen to carry the Olympic torch during its tour of the UK ahead of the 2012 London games.

Injured Army veteran Ben Parkinson will be among those carrying the baton as it passes through South Yorkshire.

Lee Brown, from Rotherham, will also bear the symbol in his home county.

Mr Brown was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumour, a rare form of cancer, which he overcame and went on to raise awareness and funds for GIST Cancer UK.

He said: "I was surprised and honoured when I found out I had been nominated, and to be selected for this role is an absolute privilege for me."

Ben Parkinson met the Queen in 2008 - now he will carry the baton with her message

The baton's tour of Yorkshire comes after it passed through Lincolnshire on Sunday and Monday.

On Wednesday, it is due to start in The Deep's shark tank in Hull, followed by a walk along the historic city walls in York before travelling through North Yorkshire to Robin Hood's Bay where it will depart the shore on a RNLI lifeboat headed for Whitby Abbey.

The baton will visit several English regions during its tour, which has also seen it carried in other Commonwealth nations.

The relay will end at Birmingham's Aston Hall on 28 July, the day of the games' opening ceremony.