By Tom Degun in Tower Hamlets, London

Brick_Lane_with_Sebastian_Coe_Denis_Oswald_and_Tower_Hamlets_MayorMarch 30 - Brick Lane in the East End has been launched to the world as "Curry Capital" of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics with London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission chairman Denis Oswald paying a visit to the area.


The visit follows a peace deal signed last month between London 2012 and Tower Hamlets Council to promote the area following the dispute that arose when the London 2012 marathon was moved from the Borough and to central London.

The agreement will also see school children from Tower Hamlets offered tickets for the London 2012 Games and local residents given priority access to 1,000 jobs.

"The Olympic Games is on the doorstep and it gives the opportunity for Tower Hamlets and Brick Lane to be showcased in an extraordinary way," Coe said following a walk down the street here this evening.

"It's an iconic street in London and throughout the world now.

"The Olympic Games is probably going to attract between 800,000 and a million extra people to London and this is a great street, a great community for people to spend time between all the fantastic sporting competitions."

The restaurants in Brick Lane, known as "Banglatown", are famed for their curry and the official title is aimed at giving publicity to the area following their lack of London 2012 action.

"While we're disappointed that the marathon will not be run through the East End, we're 100 per cent behind London 2012, and want to make sure that our residents gain the maximum benefit from the Games," said Rahman.

"They will have to put up with a lot of the disruption that comes with hosting the biggest sporting event on earth, so it's only fair they share in the experience and reap the rewards."

Oswald, who was completing the first day of the eight IOC Coordination Commission of London, said he liked what he had seen down Brick Lane.

"It is a very nice place and I think I will come back here during the Games," he said.

Oswald is set to hold a news conference on Friday at the end of the IOC visit but revealed he is impressed with early stages of the latest inspection.

"We were at the Park yesterday and it's 80 per cent finished, which is very impressive if you think it's more than one year to go until the Games," he said.

It's a unique situation in Games history and why we feel we are in a very comfortable position."

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February 2011: London 2012 and Tower Hamlets sign peace deal over Olympic marathon