THE heat is on.

Over 600 youngsters will be in action when the North Yorkshire Millennium Youth Games get underway tomorrow.

The sporting stars of the future will be bidding to be the first to win places in the national Millennium Games at Southampton on August 17-20.

The North Yorkshire festival and one in the Midlands are the first of 43 regional games involving 250,000 athletes between now and the end of July with the pick of the crop going on to Southampton's Outdoor Sports Centre.

It is reckoned to be the biggest-ever active celebration of youth sport this country has ever seen and is being launched by an Olympic-style flame lighting ceremony at the Dome in London.

In sheer numbers the grand final will outrank the Commonwealth games with 7,000 finalists.

Eight districts - York, Selby, Ryedale, Harrogate, Hambleton, Scarborough, Craven and Richmondshire will be battling it out over six hours of non-stop sport at the University of York and Harrogate Hydro this weekend.

The swimming events will be at Harrogate tomorrow and the remaining seven sports - athletics, basketball, football, hockey, netball, rugby and tennis - will be held at the university.

Both events will start with an official opening ceremony and parade.

Several sporting celebrities will be at the university including two players from York City FC and the club mascot, Yorkie, two members of Newcastle Falcons Rugby Union Club and Simon Mason, the England hockey goalkeeper.

The opening parade begins at 10am and will be followed by a dance display before the official opening and start of competition at 11am.

Awards will be presented at 5.35pm.

Competition will be held for under 13s and under 15s with the eight selected sports chosen to complement Sports England's new Active Sports programme to encourage young people to be involved in sport.

Sports England has joined forces with airports group BAA plc and local authorities across the country to stage the Games.

The sponsors of the North Yorkshire event include Castle BMW, Minster FM and Yorkshire Coast Radio.

There will be no parking at the university complex or nearby street parking, but the organisers have arranged for shuttle buses from the Grimston Bar Park and Ride site on Hull Road for spectators. There is a £1.40 return fare with under 16s travelling free.

Local orienteering clubs will be supporting the North Yorkshire games and have set up a short open course for people to tackle.