Coe in visit to boost Olympic bid

Lord Coe is visiting Devon and Cornwall

Olympic champion Sebastian Coe will be in Devon on Thursday to rally support for London's bid for the 2012 Olympics.

Lord Coe will meet business leaders from across the region to report on the bid's progress and what benefits the games would bring to the South West.

Lord Coe, who is chairman of the Olympic bid, will visit Exeter and Wadebridge on Thursday afternoon.

He will meet representatives of the business community, sports officials and local authorities.

He hopes to emphasise the benefits that the Olympics would bring to the region.

Although the majority of the action would take place in London, the ripple effect of the event is expected to dramatically boost business and specifically tourism - across the host nation.

The use of local sporting venues as preparation camps or training grounds for athletes is also a possibility.