The minister for sport, Richard Caborn, has visited the Lee Valley Athletics Centre (LVAC) at Pickett’s Lock to observe progress.

The £16m facility is on schedule for completion in the autumn and will be the largest indoor and outdoor athletics centre in London, featuring an indoor 200m six-lane track, a 110m sprint straight, full jumps and throws provision and permanent seating for 500 spectators.

LVAC is being funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Sport England and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) through a capital funding package agreed for UK Athletics following the collapse of plans to host the athletics World Championships in 2005.

Caborn said: “This superb project will play an important role in the development and growth of athletics and is an example of how seriously we want to position London as one of the world’s leading cities for sport.” Details: www.leevalleypark.org.uk