A HUGE street party welcomed the arrival of the Queen's Jubilee Baton to the region at the weekend.

Crowds lined the streets of Middlesbrough on Saturday to watch the baton - which carries a special message from the Queen to be read out at the opening of the Commonwealth Games later this month - carried into the town by local people.

The baton relay will visit 500 towns during its 5,000-mile, 50-day tour of the UK, finally arriving in Manchester for the Games on July 25.

It arrived in York on Friday, and then made its way to Middlesbrough via Malton, Scarborough, Whitby, Saltburn and Redcar.

On Saturday, teenage brother and sister John and Laura Baines, from Ormesby, Middlesbrough, were picked to run with the baton through the town centre, before it was passed to Radio Cleveland presenter Bob Fischer, who carried it triumphantly to a specially erected stage on The Boulevard.

Mr Fischer said: "I didn't know what to expect, but I ended up running through Middlesbrough with a full police escort and two Commonwealth runners beside me. It was a fantastic feeling.

"There was quite a crowd there and people were cheering. I think it was the first and last time I'll ever feel like an athlete!"

Christine Baines, 43, said she felt immense pride as she watched her children, John, 16, and Laura, 15, pupils at Nunthorpe School, run with the baton.

She said: "It felt like such an honour for them to have been chosen.

"The only disappointment was that it was supposed to be shown on a big screen to the crowds at The Boulevard, but there was a technical hitch and that didn't happen."

Once the baton was safely on stage, the celebrations got under way, with music and dance from local performers.

Yesterday, the baton had an early start, leaving Captain Cook's birthplace, in Stewart Park, Middlesbrough, shortly after 7am.

It then travelled through Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, Easington and Sunderland, before arriving in Washington last night.

Today, the relay will continue through Northumberland, arriving in Berwick-upon-Tweed tonight.

Tomorrow, the baton will be taken to Morpeth and Newcastle. On Wednesday, it will arrive in Darlington, visiting Consett, Lanchester, Durham, Croxdale and Bishop Auckland, on the way.

It leaves the region on Thursday, journeying through Morton-on-Swale, Ainderby Steeple, Northallerton and Thirsk, before arriving in Leeds.