The Mayor met with Michael Cunnah, Chief Executive of Wembley National Stadium Ltd, and praised the achievements of all the key partners involved. The Mayor was accompanied on his tour of the site by Brent Council Leader Ann John and the London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow Toby Harris.

The Mayor said: "Backing the Wembley Stadium project was one of my earliest decisions as Mayor. It is great to be here today and see that the construction of the stadium is well under way. In fact, its ahead of schedule.

"This state-of-the-art new stadium, which will seat 90,000 people, will be a huge boost to Londons Olympic bid as the venue for the mens and womens football finals.

"Just as important, it will bring massive benefits to local people. Thousands of new jobs will be created and improvements to the local transport system are already underway.

"Modernisation of Wembley Park Station, which will bring major improvements, began this week. The Mayors London Development Agency is funding a number of projects in the area to ensure that local people get maximum benefits from the new stadium, as well as providing 21million of funding for the stadium itself."

Michael Cunnah, Chief Executive of Wembley National Stadium Ltd, said: "Were delighted to welcome the Mayor of London to the site of the new Wembley Stadium to see the tremendous progress that has been made so far.

"When the stadium opens towards the end of next year it will be a significant new landmark for the capital and will be a huge boost to the UK economy, and in particular to the local area in Brent.

"The Mayor visited the stadium as part of a tour of Brent and Harrow. He also met with representatives of Brent and Harrows Indian Business Community and was joined by Harrow community groups in Harrow at the launch of a joint report by the West London Alliance and Greater London Authority.

"The report looks at how mainstream public services can support the voluntary sector to promote good relations between people of different backgrounds."