London mayor criticises plans for north of England bid to host Olympics

The bell cast for and used in the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony remains at the London Stadium, which is publicly owned. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

The mayor of London has criticised plans to explore a bid for the north of England to host the Olympics, saying that excluding London would be a “missed opportunity”.

Ministers have commissioned an assessment by UK Sport which could inform a bid for the international sporting event in the 2040s. If the campaign were successful, it would be the first time the Olympic Games and Paralympics were hosted in Britain since London 2012.