Around 250 hosts willing to put up volunteers in their home during the Commonwealth Games are being sought by organisers.

The majority of hosts are needed in and around Glasgow but some are also required in Edinburgh, Carnoustie, Dundee and Angus.

The Commonwealth Games is the biggest sporting and cultural event Scotland has ever hosted, and some of the 15,000 people recruited as volunteers, or "Clyde-siders", require affordable accommodation during July and August.

Each host home will be asked to extend a "warm welcome" to their visitors, provide complimentary accommodation and breakfast, and assist them to the nearest public transport point each day.

Organisers are looking to find about 250 hosts to accommodate 350 volunteers, some of whom are travelling from Australia, Nigeria and other parts of Europe and the UK.

The Volunteer Homestay Programme is run by charity More Than Gold and endorsed by VisitScotland.

Dave Willson of More Than Gold 2014 said: "The Volunteer Homestay Programme is a unique opportunity for the people of Glasgow and Scotland to actively participate in the hosting of the Games.

"The 'Clyde-siders' will be the heart and soul of the delivering of the Games. Almost 20 years of experience has taught us that finding affordable accommodation during events like this is tough.

"This programme will make it possible for many hosts and volunteers to be a part of this historic event."

Hosts and Games volunteers are asked to register for at volunteerhomestay.org.uk by the end of April.

Volunteers looking to use the accommodation service need to pay a fee of £100 which will be used to administer and run the service, organisers said. Hosts will not be paid.

Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said Scotland is "renowned for its great hospitality" and believes people will offer a warm welcome to the world during the Games.

The appeal comes as a new hi-tech operations centre that will be the "nerve centre" of the Games was opened.

The facility, based in the east end of Glasgow, is part of a £24 million technology upgrading programme across the city.

It brings together police, Community Safety Glasgow and Traffcom, the team in charge of the city's traffic lights and cameras, to monitor more than 400 cameras from one location.

It will be used to monitor traffic across the city and react to crimes.

Council leader Gordon Matheson said: "This amazing state-of-the-art facility will be the brains and nerve centre of the Games to keep the city moving.

"I think this highlights our ambitions as a city to be efficient and resilient in response to any incidents.

"This technology is unmatched in sophistication across the country and we will keep investing in the best technologies to keep the city moving."