THOUSANDS of people snapped up free tickets yesterday for Oxford’s Olympic Torch Relay celebrations in South Park.

By 4pm, Ticketmaster, which is issuing the tickets on behalf of Oxford City Council, reported that 3,264 tickets had been taken, despite some people struggling to get to grips with the application procedure online.

Up to 20,000 tickets are being made available. The Olympic Flame has been journeying around the UK and will arrive in the city on Monday, July 9. The council has budgeted £100,000 for the celebrations.

For free tickets, visit ticketmaster.co.uk or call 0844 844 0444. Tickets are only available for residents with Oxford City postcodes and are limited to four per household.