Schoolchildren across Exmouth are to get their hands on a genuine Olympic torch.

The primary schools’ Olympic relay will feature the torch recently carried on the actual Olympic relay by Exmouth resident Colin Rowland.

The relay will begin this Monday at Withycombe Raleigh Primary School, where Colin will hand the torch to a team from Exmouth Community College.

After four days at the college, a team of its cross-country runners will run the torch all the way to Woodbury Salterton Primary School.

From this point the torch will be taken from school to school, visiting all 14 schools in the Exmouth area, with each school being tasked with finding an imaginative way of moving the torch on.

Pupils at each of the schools will get to see and hold the torch and take part in related activities, organised by students from Exmouth Community College.

Following on from the schools’ relay, there will be a big beach relay event at Exmouth on Friday, June 29, featuring pupils from the schools and the college.

The torch events come after several weeks in which pupils have already got into the Olympic spirit, with visits from sports clubs, and each pupil receiving a free Olympic T-shirt.