THE Olympic stadium must retain an athletics track after the 2012 Games to maintain the legitimacy of the London bid, according to Leyton MP John Cryer.
And Mr Cryer fears less people will attend Leyton Orient home games if a Premier League club move into Stratford, which is close to the League One club’s Brisbane Road stadium.
West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have submitted bids to take over the venue, but only the east London club plans to retain an athletics track.
Mr Cryer said: “The whole basis of the Olympic bid as far as athletics was that the track remains a running track and is not disposed of.
“If it is disposed of it makes the Olympic bid illegitimate. It is not acceptable that we should lose it.
“In Britain there is a shortage of these facilities. In London they are very inadequate. It makes more sense to keep the track. We desperately need these facilities.
“The problem with any Premiership team so close to Leyton is that it may affect how many people go to see Leyton Orient. I would like to see the stadium maintained for athletics with its track and field.
“Because of the speculation of what will happen to the running track I must admit I think there are concerns about the Olympic legacy."
The Olympic Park Legacy Company last week decided it needed more time to make the decision on naming a preferred bidder.
• Due to a production error, John Cryer's comments were not included in an article about the Olympic Stadium in this week's Waltham Forest Guardian
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