WEST Devon is preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime event when the Olympic Torch makes its triumphal way through the streets of Okehampton, Hatherleigh and Folly Gate to herald the start of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

West Devon Borough Council and the London 2012 Organising Committee have been working together for months to bring the symbol of the Games to the area on Monday, May 21, which follows the Plymouth leg of the relay.

Among the celebrations to mark the event will be an early morning community breakfast at a Folly Gate pub, a mini Olympic Challenge at Hatherleigh Primary School and cheers from around 100 flag-waving young swimmers in Okehampton.

A few minutes in advance of the torch arriving in each community, a procession of Olympic vehicles will travel through to let people know that the flame is on its way.

The torch arrives in Okehampton at the junction of Exeter Road with Moorcroft Close at 8.10am.

A series of torchbearers will carry the flame along Exeter Road, East Street and onto Market Street and up Upcott Hill before completing the relay at 8.30am by Glendale Road.

The torch then moves on to Folly Gate on the A386 and is expected to arrive at 8.32am.

Villagers are celebrating with an Olympic breakfast at the local Crossways Inn pub from 8am and guest of honour will be local torchbearer Andy Vallance who is due to carry the flame through Torquay the day before.

The Folly Gate leg is completed at 8.44am before moving on to Hatherleigh, arriving at Bowling Green Lane at 8.54 am, travelling along Bridge Street, onto Market Street and Oakfield Road, before leaving the town at 9am at Glebe Close.

Schoolchildren at nearby Hatherleigh Primary School will be out on the pavements to watch the event and will spend the rest of the day staging a mini Olympics in the school playground.

Cllr Robin Musgrave, West Devon Borough Council's champion for Youth and Sport, said: 'This is a wonderful opportunity to enthuse our young people and communities to be part of the Olympic Games in 2012 and I hope that as many people as possible will come along to watch.'

Residents of West Devon are also expected to visit the Plymouth leg of the relay on May 19 and 20.

The route will start at the Tamar Bridge at 7.30pm on Saturday, May 19 having finished the Cornish section in Liskeard and Saltash.

It will then go along Albert Road, Park Avenue, Chapel Street, Cumberland Road, Union Street and into the city centre.

It will travel along Raleigh Street, New George Street and onto Armada Way to Royal Parade up to Kinterbury Street, Bretonside and Vauxhall Street, then onto the Barbican along Southside Street, past the Mayflower Steps then along Madeira Road, Hoe Road and up to the Hoe promenade, arriving at approximately 8.50pm where there will be an evening celebration.

On Sunday, May 20 the Olympic Flame will leave the Plymouth Life Centre at approximately 7.50am and be carried along Outland Road onto Alma Road, Saltash Road, Cobourg Street, Charles Street, Exeter Street, Embankment Road and out to Laira Bridge Road.

The full street route can be viewed at london2012.com/olympictorchrelay along with a list of torchbearers.