IT is supposed to be a vital part of the Olympic legacy that youngsters are inspired to compete in sport and dream of gold medals.

Indeed, Lord Sebastian Coe, who masterminded London's bid, has spoken many times of the importance of making sure youngsters choose sport.

It is good for the country's well-being, reducing crime and making the nation healthier. And, after all, the Government is forever telling us that something must be done about childhood obesity.

So, in planning our Olympic Dream campaign, we thought we were doing the right thing. We would be raising funds through the UK's leading sports charity Sports Aid, to be pumped straight into North-East communities.

Youngsters showing potential in a wide range of sports would receive Sports Aid grants as a result. The money could be used to buy equipment or cover training and travelling costs.

We even arranged for Sports Aid to meet the Newspaper Society and the result was national support for the initiative.

But the campaign has been scuppered by political correctness, bureaucracy and small-mindedness.

We are not allowed to launch our campaign because the law says we can't use the Olympic symbol, the London 2012 logo or even the word Olympic in association with a fundraising initiative.

We weren't planning to produce souvenir Olympic mugs. We were planning to encourage youngsters to get off the streets, get fit through sport, and chase their dreams.

We understand the commercial sensitivities involved, but surely there has to be room for flexibility.

We still encourage our readers to raise money for Sports Aid. The address is Sports Aid Northern, House of Sport, South Road, Durham, DH1 3TG.

Just don't mention the Olympics.