Birmingham failed in a bid to host the 1992 Olympic Games

Birmingham City Council is preparing a bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022 or 2026.

The city's assistant director of sport and events, Steve Hollingsworth, says bringing the games to the West Midlands could provide a lasting legacy.

"It's about regeneration for the city, raising our game and making sure we're on a world stage," he told BBC WM.

"We are seriously looking at it - realistically you're looking at 2022 or 2026 being in mind for us."

Birmingham has previously failed in a bid to host the Olympic Games, beaten by Barcelona in 1992.

But with a programme for upgrading many of the sports facilities in the city already under way, Hollingsworth is optimistic that the Commonwealth Games would be a viable proposition.

"It's Glasgow in 2014, then it's going to go elsewhere, then come back to Britain," he noted.

"We want to be in a position to bid for it when it's Britain's next turn, and I think 2022 is probably the earliest but 2026 more realistic."

Manchester was the last English city to host the Games, staging the 2002 event.

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