The London Borough of Newham has been named as one of the 1,018 cities, towns and villages on the route of the Olympic Torch Relay.

Between 18 May and 27 July, the Olympic Flame will come to within just ten miles of 95% of the population of the UK. It will come to Newham on Saturday 21st July 2012 – the day of the Mayor’s Newham Show.

Mayor Sir Robin Wales celebrated with youngsters at Stratford’s Sarah Bonnell School, where a competition was held amongst pupils to design an Olympic torch of their own.

He said: “The Olympic Torch relay will be an exciting spectacle and will be a great opportunity for us all to see the Olympic flame and celebrate the rich cultures that make up our community.

“Rest assured we will be putting on a fantastic party in the spirit of the Games which inspires our residents, many of whom will be local heroes who have been nominated by the public to run with the flame.”

Sarah Bonnell pupil Fatima Najam, 15, who designed the school’s winning torch said: “I wanted something that really inspires young people to grasp the values of the Games. I cannot wait to see the real torch next year.”

The 2012 Games torch will be carried across the country during a 70-day relay in the weeks leading up to the 2012 Games, with around 8,000 people getting the chance to carry the torch along the way.

The Olympic torch relay will start at Land’s End on the morning of May 19, and will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK. The street-by-street detail of the route through Newham will not be confirmed until next year.

On the final day of the relay, the organisers expect the Olympic flame to travel down the River Thames to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford on July 27, for the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony, signifying the official start of the Games.