A LEISURE chief today announced a multi-thousand pound drive to get sports people from Tendring to the 2012 Olympics.

Pierre Oxley, Tendring Council's leisure portfolio holder, said the £250,000 investment could be used to give talented hopefuls the financial backing they need to go all the way to the worldwide games.

He said: "I want to see whether we can find money to help support sports people who have got the potential to be in 2012.

"There might be five or six people in the district who look like they have got a chance, and we might be able to help them financially over the next four years. "

The money would be used to support local sports clubs and organisations. Some have people on special 2012 programmes.

A separate fund of £25,000 could also be made available to help organisations with their own projects to encourage them to improve their facilities, he said.

Mr Oxley said that when these organisations apply for funding to bodies like the Football Foundation, they are asked if they have the backing of the council - so this money would mean just that.