Images of Olympics site unveiled

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Construction of the 2012 London Olympics site is ahead of schedule as progress to the event reaches its halfway point, organisers have said.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has published new images from the site in Stratford, east London.

Most of the 500-acre complex has been cleared and work has begun on its Aquatics Centre and Olympic Village.

An ODA spokeswoman said: "We plan to finish construction by 2011, to give us a year to run test events on the site."

London won the right to host the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in July 2005.

The site will include an 80,000-seat stadium, the 17,500-seat Aquatics Centre and 3,000-home Athletes' Village.

Construction of the Aquatics Centre began in August, two months ahead of schedule.

Last month the last of 52 electricity pylons that dominated the site were removed, to be replaced by two four-mile long tunnels carrying power lines underground.

The original budget for the 2012 Olympics was £3.4bn but this was increased to £9.3bn in 2007.

The ODA admitted that the economic downturn threatened private sector funding for the Athletes' Village and Broadcast Centre, but pledged the Games would not exceed its budget.