Olympics would boost whole of UK

The economic benefits of staging the Olympics in London would be felt across the whole of the country, a study has found.

An analysis of 16 major sporting events held in Britain since 1997 showed they generated millions of pounds in spending. The research by UK Sport found even one-day events such as the Flora London marathon boosted the local economy by more than £25 million.

Lord Coe, chairman of London 2012, said: "Should a London bid be successful, then the UK would be required to host a series of world-level events in the years leading up to 2012. Aside from the sporting benefits host regions could also expect to witness significant economic impacts."