Work halted at Olympic Stadium after fatality

Work has been halted at the Olympic Stadium in London after a sub-contractor was found dead at the venue on Sunday.

A 44-year-old man was confirmed by the Metropolitan Police to have fallen from the stadium, which is being prepared to host games at the Rugby World Cup before becoming the new home of Premier League side West Ham in 2016.

“Officers were called to the stadium at 07:30 [BST] this morning, Sunday, 28 June, to reports of a person having fallen from the stadium to the ground and being unconscious,” read a police statement, which also revealed the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

“The man was unresponsive when officers arrived at the scene.

“The London Ambulance Service attended and the man was pronounced dead shortly before 08:00.

“Formal identification has not yet taken place. However, officers are confident that they know the identity of the deceased.”

Balfour Beatty – the construction company overseeing the site – added: “We are working with the relevant authorities whilst a full investigation is carried out.

“All work on site has been stopped. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, friends and colleagues.”

The stadium is due to host five matches at the Rugby World Cup across September and October, starting with the Pool D match between France and Romania.