West Ham stadium deal falls through

A deal to award preferred bidder status for London's main 2012 Olympic stadium to English soccer club West Ham United has collapsed, according to a BBC report on Tuesday.

The report said the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) had brought negotiations to an end amid a protracted dispute with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham Hotspur had been given a three-week ultimatum to accept a $26.6 million package to stay in north London and drop the legal battle over the future of the main Olympic stadium.

The BBC report said the stadium would be held in public ownership with a new winning bidder renting the venue instead of buying it.

Second-tier West Ham were selected to inherit the stadium, the centrepiece of the July 27 to August 12 Games, in February.