Boris Johnson accused of ‘bungling’ decisions over Olympic Stadium

BORIS JOHNSON has become embroiled in a furious row with Sadiq Khan after the London Mayor accused his predecessor of bungling the conversion of the Olympic stadium at a £20m-a-year cost to the taxpayer.

An independent review commissioned by Mr Khan found “a catalogue of errors” in the transformation of the centrepiece of the 2012 Games into a multipurpose venue which is now the home of Premier League football club West Ham United.

The Mayor announced he will take over full control of the stadium, with the London borough of Newham withdrawing from the partnership which owns it.

He promised to work with West Ham, UK Athletics and other partners to “move it towards a more secure and stable financial footing”.

The 169-page report by forensic accountants Moore Stephens found the £323m cost of the conversion would never be recovered, while the stadium itself would continue to lose £10m20m a year.

The decision to transform the stadium and enter into the “onerous” contract with West Ham was made on “incorrect financial estimates” caused by “errors in their calculation, compilation and presentation”, along with an “insufficient appreciation” of the risks involved, it said.

Mr Khan said the findings were “simply staggering” and revealed “a bungled decision-making process that has the previous Mayor’s fingerprints all over it”.

In response, sources close to Mr Johnson, now Foreign Secretary, said that blame should be directed at the original planning for the 2012 Games by previous Labour mayor Ken Livingstone and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.