THE Government and the Mayor of London have confirmed the Olympic Stadium will now remain as public property, ending West Ham and Tottenham's hopes of ownership.

West Ham were handed the stadium in March after a bitter bidding process but after Spurs launched lengthy legal action against the Olympic Park Legacy Company, ministers decided to scrap the plan.

Tottenham were due at the High Court next Tuesday in the latest part of their bid to launch a judicial review against the decision.

Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson, said: “The Government is committed to securing a legacy from the Olympic Stadium, and wants to see it re-opening in 2014.

“The process to sell the stadium has become bogged down. We are acting today to end the legal paralysis that has put that legacy at risk. 

“Ending the current sale process and looking for a leasehold solution will remove the current uncertainty and allows us to help secure the future use of the stadium with more confidence.”

The Government will now seek to rent out the stadium to a football tenant, which is likely to be West Ham.