An historic occasion such as the Olympic flame passing through our county is not something you can plan overnight, and for the army of workers involved in preparations for next week’s events, it has been many months in the making.

“We’ve been working on this since last August,” said Steve Cross, Wiltshire Council’s highways manager.

“It has meant working closely with the police and other organisations to make sure the route that was selected was safe, so we’ve been checking there are no low bridges or bends in the road that the Olympic convoy would struggle to get around.”

Highways staff have to put up signposting, barriers and clean the streets while trading standards officers are clamping down on illegal selling.

Mr Cross added: “It is going to be busy, so if people line the entire route of the torch, rather than just head for the town centre locations they are more likely to get a prime viewing spot.

“We are also asking people not to park their cars along the torch route if they can avoid it. In some places there will be parking restrictions put in place.

“You will see cones placed out on the day so you know where you can’t park.”

The torch convoy is preceded minutes earlier by an ‘activation convoy’ which drops off runners in the right place and is an opportunity for the Olympic sponsors to promote their companies.

On Tuesday the flame will pass from torch-to-torch through Southwick, Trow-bridge and Bradford on Avon, while on Wednesday it will go through Chippenham, Calne, Marlborough, Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon.

Around 340 marshals have been recruited to help things to run smoothly, while the torch itself will be closely guarded by police cars and motorbikes which will join the convoy, some of which are specially trained officers from the London Met Police.

There is not a single torch, but rather each torchbearer has their own torch from which the flame is passed to the next at what the council is calling ‘kissing points’.

The torchbearers will be picked up at their running destination by a special shuttle bus which will join the convoy, which is expected to travel at a snail’s pace – around 2mph depending on the speed of the runners.

That in turn will mean traffic delays of up to half an hour in areas such as Calne and Marlborough, but there will only one road closure which is in Bradford on Avon.

Mr Cross said: “We believe we have got it all sorted and at the end of the day the main thing is we want as many people to come out and enjoy the experience.”

Parking restrictions -

Some parking will be banned in the following areas, where cones will be placed.

Chippenham. Bristol Road. New Road. London Road nearside.

Calne. Along the A4 at various points.

Marlborough. High Street top side (centre and bottom unaffected).

Royal Wootton Bassett. Station Road. There will be free parking in public car parks in each of the towns for several hours on the day.

Notices will be put up in each car park to say what the times will be.

Each torch bearer can buy the torch they carry, for £215 on the day, but organisers say the actual cost of manufacture is £495.