SATELLITE tracking firm Minorplanet has signed an exclusive deal to track the progress of the Queen's Jubilee Baton throughout its 50-day tour of the UK and the beginning of the Common- wealth Games on July 25.

From a specially designed web page available to all internet users at www.BatonTrack.minorplanet.com, Minorplanet will offer 'live-tracking' technology to accurately record and plot the location of the baton, provide an option to see the route taken and publish a short profile of the runners.

The relay has already begun its epic journey, leaving Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day, March 11.

It has travelled through 23 Commonwealth countries and returned to the UK on June 6, when the Minorplanet system activated.

The relay will then progress through Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Wales and England.

Andrew Tillman, operations director at Minorplanet, said: 'We are delighted to be a supporter of this momentous event.

'We feel this opportunity will further demonstrate the potential of Minorplanet's tracking technology and provide an interactive record for future generations.'

The baton, which contains a message from the Queen, will pass through some 5,000 hands, some belonging to celebrity runners, as it takes a 5,000-mile journey that reaches within an hour's drive of 95% of the UK population.