A LONDON Olympics would see tens of millions of pounds pour into the North-East economy.

That was the message from the chairwoman of the London 2012 Olympic Bid, Barbara Cassani, who addressed key sporting and industry figures from across the region yesterday.

A business breakfast at the Baltic arts centre, in Gateshead, aimed to show how supporting the capital's proposals will bring benefits to the North-East, both by winning construction contracts for a multi-billion pound Olympic village and attracting international teams to use the region as training bases.

Ms Cassani cited the example of Queensland, in Australia, where businesses benefited by £150m with the Sydney 2000 Games.

She said: "The Queensland experience is very appropriate.

"It is further from Sydney than Newcastle is from London, and still secured £150m of Games-related business.

"The North-East is ideally placed, with a strong reputation for organising elite events such as the Great North Run."

Ms Cassani praised the region's cultural renaissance, and said: "I think you are a bit ahead of most other regions, they are not quite as organised and their definitions of culture are rather more narrow."

She said several sites could attract national Olympic teams, such as canoeing facilities at the Tees Barrage, Stockton, training at Gateshead athletics stadium, and football at St James' Park, in Newcastle.

She later met Bob Bond, manager of the Castlegate Quay Watersports Centre, in Stockton, and watched local children canoeing and sailing.

She said: "The Tees watersports facilities have played a key role in the area's redevelopment, and there is a great deal we can learn from the experience of the North-East."