SOLD out signs will be plastered outside Bolton Arena next summer due to an astonishingly high demand for Commonwealth Games tickets.

So far both badminton finals -- team and individual -- have been oversubscribed as eager sports fans clamber for a piece of the action.

They now face a lottery to determine the successful applicants.

And with tickets for the badminton heats also being rapidly snapped up, the Arena will be packed to the rafters during next summer's event.

The state-of-the-art venue will host the badminton on each of the Games' 10 days.

In all, as many as 50,000 people will watch the sport at the 5,000 capacity, £14.8 million venue.

Jason Harborow, commercial general manager for Manchester 2002, said: "Considering the tickets have only been on sale for six weeks, we've had an extremely good response.

"There are still some tickets left for the badminton heats but the venue is close to capacity and the finals are oversubscribed.

"It's a good feeling to have achieved this much success. This is going to be a good Games for Bolton, Manchester and the country."

Mr Harborow is responsible for ticketing at the Games, which run from July 25 to August 4 next year.

Sales are breaking all records with more than 500,000 tickets requested so far. No previous Commonwealth Games has ever sold more than 300,000 tickets.

Some of the events are oversubscribed by as much as two to one with the £12 million opening and closing ceremonies, badminton finals, athletics finals, gymnastics, hockey finals, swimming, track cycling and diving being the most popular.

Organisers say the clamour for tickets places the 2002 Commonwealth Games alongside some of the most successful sporting events in recent history.

It is estimated that thousands of people from outside the borough will spend millions of pounds in the town, boosting the local economy.

Many more are expected to travel to Rivington to watch the free cycling event.

Bolton badminton player Chris Hunt, aged 32, said news of a sell-out would boost his sport. The double Commonwealth gold medal winner, who attended the Olympics in Sydney, said: "Having large numbers of spectators will make such a difference to this country's competitors.

"A large football-type crowd would really spur our team on and create a wonderful atmosphere.

"For a minority sport like badminton, this is wonderful news."

Games sources say 50 per cent of the ticket applications have come from the North-west, 25 per cent are from London and the south, and the remainder are from elsewhere in the country.

Organisers are keen to stress that there are still thousands of tickets available for key events.

Direct telephone and internet lines will be opened on January 6 on a first-come, first-served basis. The Commonwealth Games website --commonwealthgames.com -- handled 70 per cent of the total applications.