2012 stadium ahead of schedule

Construction of the 80,000-seater stadium in east London was due to start in August, but it has been moved forward, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said on Thursday.

Work on digging the foundations will now begin on May 22.

A spokesman for the ODA said: "We are starting three months earlier than planned because of the excellent work on site.

"The actual start of construction is Thursday May 22. It was meant to be in August, but the progress we have made on site means we are starting three months early."

He said that plans for a ceremony to mark the start of building work would be confirmed closer to the date.

The £500 million stadium will be turned into a 25,000-seat venue after the games.

West Ham United and Leyton Orient have both discussed taking over the ground once the Olympics are over.

The cost of the Games has rocketed by £5 billion from first estimates.

Last month, a group of MPs branded the original 2012 estimates "entirely unrealistic" and they accused ministers of succumbing to "wishful thinking."

The Public Accounts Committee also said that it had little confidence that the current estimate of more than £9 billion would not be exceeded.

Although the news that the building of the Olympic stadium is running ahead of schedule is to be welcomed, Londoners will be only too aware of what can go wrong when a large project is delayed.

Wembley stadium was originally intended to be opened in 2006, yet after delays and soaring costs, it was not eventually finished until the summer of 2007.