'Stop cashing in on honour of joing relay' (From Witney Gazette)

'Stop cashing in on honour of joing relay'

9:30am Thursday 24th May 2012 in News

A MARATHON runner has launched a petition calling for a ban on Olympic torches being sold by people taking part in the nationwide relay.

Katy Young, 26, left, says people selling the torches for thousands of pounds on auction sites are “disgraceful”.

Torchbearers pay £250 for the torch and it is then theirs to keep.

Now she has set up a campaign page on social networking site Facebook and has submitted a petition to the 10 Downing Street website.

Miss Young, from Southwold in Bicester, was in contention to become one of the UKs 8,000 torchbearers herself.

She was nominated by partner Tom Fox and made it to the final round, but missed out.

Miss Young, a freelance copywriter, said: “When I wasn’t chosen I was upset but I believed the torchbearers chosen would have upheld the honour and not abused their privileges by selling them on. I think it’s disgraceful they are cashing in on their privilege.”

When the Oxford Mail checked auction site eBay yesterday, several torches were for sale, and some included the official tracksuit – one costing £157,000.

A London 2012 spokesman said: “The torches are the torchbearers’ to do what they want with.”