I think we have found in general great enthusiasm

Heim Verbruggen

And his team felt there was strong support among people in the city.

Ten-thousand cyclists in Olympics baseball caps took to the streets to back Beijing's bid for the Games.

However, BBC Beijing correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes says Mr Verbruggen was more reluctant to be drawn on the state of the environment in the city - the poor air quality and its often clogged traffic system.

And it is still not clear what impact China's poor human rights record will have on Beijing's chances of getting the games.

Human rights

The 17-member team of inspectors spent a busy four days visiting sports stadiums, traffic control centres and even a sewage treatment plant.

Tiananmen Square may not see scenes like this

"I think we've got a fairly good picture of the city," Mr Verbruggen told journalists.

"We have tried to feel what is the support of the population for the bid. I think we have found in general great enthusiasm."

China is said to have highlighted mass support for the games in order to counter attempts by dissidents to scupper them with reports of human rights abuses.

Several people have been arrested and sentenced for urging the IOC to press China to release political prisoners.

Mr Verbruggen said that the IOC could not take positions on political matters.

But he promised to review plans to host the beach volleyball competition on Tiananmen Square, where pro-democracy protesters were massacred in 1989.

The Chinese Government has said it will spend $12bn in the next seven years to clean up Beijing.