A long-serving sports coach in Waltham Forest was selected to carry the Queen's Baton through the Olympic Park ahead of the Commonwealth Games. 

Jim Howell of Corbett Road, Walthamstow, represented the borough as he carried the Baton containing a sealed, secret message from the Queen on Sunday.  

He has been community sports development manager at Leyton Sixth Form, in Essex Road, since 1971. 

Throughout his 45-year career, he has been instrumental in setting up clubs in a variety of sports, mostly in the field of athletics, and continues to give young people opportunities to compete.  

Mr Howell was joined by other representatives from Olympics host boroughs as he transported the Glasgow 2014 Baton across the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in front of thousands of spectators.  

He said: "I feel very privileged to have been chosen to be a Baton bearer in the Queen’s Relay. It was fantastic to see so many people supporting the cause.

"It was fantastic to be at the Olympic Park and it was quite a dramatic hand-over as the drum band and town crier appeared as I took the baton outside the Velopark."

Starting on June 12, the baton will travel across the breadth of Scotland before arriving in Glasgow on July 23.