Boris slammed for cutting 2012 Olympic cash to East End

LABOUR'S John Biggs has today hit out at Boris Johnson for axing Olympic funding to the East End. Mr Biggs, who represents the East End on the London Assembly, criticised the Tory Mayor

By Else Kvist

LABOUR'S John Biggs has today hit out at Boris Johnson for axing Olympic funding to the East End.

Mr Biggs, who represents the East End on the London Assembly, criticised the Tory London Mayor for cutting a �1.6 million skills and jobs scheme for the five Olympic host boroughs. He also condemned the Mayor for scrapping a �170,000 programme to support disabled people into Olympic jobs.

Mr Biggs also slammed Mr Johnson for cutting �2m of funding to High Street 2012-a project aimed at sprucing up Whitechapel Road, Mile End Road, Bow Road and High Street Stratford. Proposals included providing better lighting, planting more trees and restoring historic buildings.

Mr Biggs said: "The whole purpose of the London Olympic and Paralympics bid was to support East London. We were promised schemes to help local people and businesses take advantage of all the opportunities the Games presented.

"Now we are told the Mayor is slashing these projects or massively cutting their funding."

Mr Biggs said the funding cuts were made after a �160 million shortfall in the London Development Agency's budget was discovered.