THE army of volunteers recruited to welcome visitors to the Commonwealth Games will be given a test run at Glasgow's Mela festival.

Up to 1500 Host City Volunteers are being enlisted to provide a warm welcome during the Games.

They will help visitors navigate around the city, provide information on the sports programme and the many cultural activities Glasgow will have on offer from July 23 to August 3.

However, more than 100 of those volunteers have also been selected as friendly faces for Glasgow Mela, which takes place six weeks earlier in Kelvingrove Park.

The event is Scotland's biggest multi-cultural festival and is expected to attract around 35,000 visitors over two days.

Councillor Soryia Siddique, chairwoman of Glasgow Mela's organising committee, said: "The Mela festival is one of the city's biggest annual events and perfectly represents the rich mix of cultural diversity in Glasgow.

"What better way to introduce the new Host City Volunteers to their roles ahead of the Commonwealth Games than by involving them in Glasgow Mela on June 7 and 8."