Olympics site toxic waste fears

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People living on a housing estate which will become part of the Olympic village want a halt to tests for toxic waste amid fears of a leak.

Soil tests are being carried out across the area in Stratford, east London, where a quantity of radioactive material was dumped in 1972 and 1994.

Up to 150 residents still waiting to be moved from the area want the tests stopped until they have been re-housed.

The London Development Agency (LDA) said the residents were in no danger.

Solicitor Bill Parry-Davies said he was not sure why the LDA was pressing ahead, "given that there is an apparent risk and the residents would like to be moved before further work is done".

He said it was possible the LDA had a "strict timetable" to which it had to stick, to assess the ground and the budget for clearing the area before building work started on the village.

Andrew Gaskell, of the LDA, reassured people that they had nothing to fear.

"There is no danger to the people living there from this contamination. We have been very careful that this is the case," he said.