MORE than 5,000 people have called on Waltham Forest Council to re-open Walthamstow Stadium as a greyhound racing track.

Members of the Save Our Stow (SOS) campaign have been collected signatures urging the authority to protect the world-famous venue as “a really important site for a great night out and as a provider of a significant source of local jobs for the community”.

The stadium is owned by London & Quadrant (L&Q), who plan to build homes on the site.

SOS claim L&Q have turned down reasonable offers for the site from mystery money men, who will reintroduce racing to the stadium.

Campaigners hope public pressure will encourage councillors to commit to safeguarding the site as a leisure facility by reviewing its planning policies to prevent future applications for change of use.

SOS spokesman Ricky Holloway said they have been overwhelmed by support from residents who, one year since the stadium closed, still want to see it re-open as a greyhound racing track.

He said: “All people say to us is, 'this is our heritage'.

"Their families worked there and many of them are still unemployed since it closed a year ago.

“We have not had one resident who refused to sign it. They say they don't want flats or high-rises in that area. There is a need for social housing, but not on that site.”

L&Q said it is still intending to submit an application in the Autumn, despite confirmation from council leader Cllr Chris Robbins that the housing association have not had discussions with the council since January.

The spokeswoman said: "The council advised us that they were commissioning designers, Urban Practitioners, to look at the site and formulate some proposals.

"We met with Urban Practitioners on more than one occasion to share information and facilitated a meeting on site, to enable them to formulate their proposals.

“Urban Practitioners issued their report last month, and our architects have since been looking at it and refining our proposals in line with its recommendations.”