Work starts on expanded stadium

The first phase of the work will be completed by May 2009

Construction work has started on a �40m 10,600-seat stand at the home of the Leicester Tigers rugby club.

The new �60m facility will be built on the north side of the existing Welford Road stadium in Leicester.

Charles Rayner, head of stadium operations, said the work was expected to be finished by next May.

The plans for the expanded ground, which will have a 24,000-seat capacity, were approved in February and include a 175-bed hotel on the site.

Giant cranes

Mr Rayner said: "It is all wagons rolling now and we are ready to go."

The first phase of work will concentrate on the north side of the ground and two 500-tonne cranes will be used for the major construction work.

The construction of the new stand will take place to the back of the current north stand.

Mr Rayner said the old stand would be demolished next May and the new one would be brought forward in the final phase.

Between 40 and 60 workers will work on the site to begin with, but eventually the workforce will expand to 150 workers.

The stadium capacity is set to reach 30,000 seats when further expansion is completed in the next eight to 10 years.

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