MAYOR and Mayoress of Malmesbury Steve and Hilary Cox have both been given a once in-a-lifetime chance to help carry the Olympic flame on its journey through the UK to the London Olympics.

The couple, who are due to hand over their chains of office two weeks before the flame enters Wiltshire on May 23, are thought to be the only husband and wife taking part in the relay.

England’s oldest borough has been missed out on the torch route that takes in towns like Trowbridge, Ludgershall, Chippenham, Calne, Royal Wootton Bassett, Wroughton, Swindon and Cirencester.

But several people from the area have been selected to take part, including Hullavington lad Luke Dicker, Sam Hutt and Damien Davis from Cricklade and Dennis Rigley of Malmesbury.

“We’re very, very thrilled,” said Mrs Cox, who joins the relay on May 23 in Cirencester, the day after Steve does his 300 metres in Bath.

They were nominated several months apart and have no idea who put them forward.

“When Steve was nominated I thought: ‘That’s really nice for him.’ I didn’t think anything of it, just hoped he got through. Then a couple of months later I got notification someone had nominated me,” she said.

“We’re really amazed that we have got through.”

The couple are now rearranging their trip to see family in Australia because they had planned to set off immediately after mayor-making on May 8.

For anyone wanting to see the relay the nearest towns on the route are Chippenham, Royal Wootton Bassett and Cirencester on May 23.