THE Commonwealth Games baton is set to pass through Bolton on Tuesday -- just two days before the event begins.

Former Bolton Woman of the Year finalist Maureen Heggie, from Astley Bridge, is set to carry the baton into Victoria Square amid a huge street party.

She will be greeted by young Zulu warriors and singers from Tonge Moor Primary School and St Brendan's School.

By the time it arrives the baton will have travelled 60,000 miles across the world. It set off from Buckingham Palace on March 11 -- Commonwealth Day -- and arrived back in Britain a month ago.

It will have covered 5,000 miles in the UK by the time it arrives in Bolton, having been carried each day by 100 people.

The baton is expected to arrive outside the town hall at 4.30pm. It will enter Bolton from Wigan along the A58 Wigan Road onto Cricketers Way, Westhoughton.

It will continue along Wigan Road/Deane Road into Trinity Street, where it will be taken into Victoria Square.

After sending the baton off with a rousing Bolton cheer, it will be carried along the A58 Bolton/Bury Road through Breightmet to other local towns and into the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Manchester on July 25.

Maureen is carrying the baton alongside her husband Jim, who was left wheelchair bound after being shot by a sniper in Northern Ireland in 1976 while he was in the Army.

Maureen, a 48-year-old nurse at the Royal Bolton Hospital, will pass the baton to Jim, who will carry it along Ashburner Street. He keeps himself fit by training with the Bolton Bulls wheelchair basketball team.

"Being nominated was a shock, but being told I'm carrying it into Victoria Square was an even bigger shock," she said at her home in The Gardens, Astley Bridge. She is being sponsored to raise money for the hospital's J1 ward.

The couple were nominated anonymously for reasons that have not been revealed. It is likely, however, to be due to the couple's fund-raising for many good causes.

Jim, aged 52, said: "It's been a lovely surprise. It doesn't happen to many people and we feel quite honoured."

More than 20 people from Bolton will be carrying the baton at various stages on its way through the town on Tuesday. They will each run about 500 yards.

One of them, James Hall, of Blackburn Road, Egerton, is also using the event to raise money. He is supporting the Manchester-based Children's Hospital Appeals Trust.

The 67-year-old retired structural engineer is also looking forward to being a volunteer during the cycling events and the marathon.

"I think it's a thank you for the work I've done for charity," said Jim, who keeps active playing golf and cycling. In 1995, he walked from Lands End to John O'Groats.

Tricia Orton, aged 54, from Worsley, is raising money for Age Concern. She was nominated by her daughter Louise, aged 23, for her work in raising the profile of sufferers of the bone condition, Paget's Disease.

Tricia has been training hard at the David Lloyd fitness centre. "I'm looking forward to it," she said. "I'm proud of doing my bit."

Not all Boltonians will be carrying the baton in their home town, however. John Firth, from Westhoughton, has Parkinson's disease, but before being struck with the illness, he ran every day for 11 years.

He will run alongside a handyman working in Bolton Council's Social Services Department. Eddie Birchall was chosen in recognition of his services to the Farnworth community.

For the past 15 years, Eddie has given up three nights a week to run a youth club on the New Bury Estate.

More recently he organised a new initiative to help get youths off the streets at night by starting a boxing club for boys aged 11 to 21.

He said: "It was a bit of a shock when I arrived to find the letter. When I found out who had nominated me I asked why they had and they said: 'We need people like you and this is to mark what people think of you'. That was really nice."

Not all runners are from Bolton. Alan Smith, aged 52, was nominated by his 39-year-old wife, Alison, for his voluntary work with the WRVS.

The Rochdale man had a kidney transplant three years ago and since then has done a lot of work for charity.

Other runners from Bolton are: Jaqueline Austin-Millington, Trevor Barton, Ray Collett, Simon Evans, Nicola Frost, Kirsty Harrison, Andrew Hayes, Dave Heyes, Kirsty Hunter, Ian Hurst, Hannah Parr, Brett Radcliff, Chris Strange, Anthony Tracey and Shaun Walton.

Taking the baton through Wigan and Westhoughton will be Leigh runners Steve Redford, David Potter and Tracey North, as well as John Shepherd, of Atherton, Rebecca Tarry, of Astley, and Darrell Lawton, of Hindley.

Edward Dicker, aged 35, from Little Lever, is carrying the baton tomorrow in Liverpool.

He works for the Commonwealth Games at Bolton Arena, assuring the venue will be ready for 10 days of badminton. His name was picked out of a hat from workers at the state-of-the-art building.

"It'll be a lot of fun," he said. "It was a complete surprise to be told but a nice one."

The former Little Lever Secondary School pupil said he would be driving a few friends over to Merseyside on the day.

Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ian Botham, Denise Lewis, Sally Gunnell and Bury's netball player, Tracey Neville, are set to bring the baton to Manchester on its final leg.

They will be joined by celebrities such as Jonny Vegas, Lesley Garrett, Evelyn Glennie, Leslie Ash, Floella Benjamin and cast members of Coronation Street.