KEN Livingstone has joined the campaign to save Crystal Palace Sports Centre after announcing a £75,000 sponsorship deal for its annual London Grand Prix event.

The long-term future of the stadium, which has run up £20m of dilapidation costs, is threatened by a crisis in lottery funding.

The London Mayor says he is talking to Bromley Council about how to secure money to upgrade training facilities at the stadium.

He will also sponsor this year's Grand Prix athletics meeting, which takes place on August 8 and attracts capacity crowds of 17,500.

He said: "If the UK wants to attract major sporting events, like the Olympics, then it's crucial we continue to attract the world's finest sports people to compete here on a regular basis."

He added: "It is vital the current deadlock between Bromley Council and Sport England over the future of Crystal Palace is ended as soon as possible."

Sport England could walk away from the centre when its 35-year lease with the council ends in March next year because, with its lottery grant predicted to drop by £30m, it has to cut costs.

It says the number of elite athletes using Crystal Palace for regular training is falling dramatically.

A spokesman said: "The centre is used 80 per cent of the time as a community facility even though it is not being funded in that way.

"To refurbish the centre is going to cost money. But the money may have to come from elsewhere because we have a shrinking pot of lottery funds."

Beckenham MP Jacqui Lait, who argued for the centre in a parliamentary debate earlier this month, says the Grand Prix sponsorship deal fails to tackle the real issue.

She said: "If Sport England walks away, then Crystal Palace won't be able to offer the Grand Prix for much longer and London will no longer have a venue for the Grand Prix."

Council leader Councillor Michael Tickner said: "It might pay for Sport England to carry out some of the dilapidation works so the Grand Prix can benefit in August."

January 30, 2003 10:30