Olympics

Torch relay story 8,000 Holes now on Medium

Help Me Investigate’s ebook 8,000 Holes: How the Olympic Torch Relay Lost Its Way has been published on the longform writing site Medium. The story is Help Me Investigate’s first venture on the platform: you can follow the account here.

The £6.5m cost of policing the Olympic Torch – get the data

Policing the Olympic torch procession cost taxpayers almost £6.5m nationally, according to a series of Freedom of Information requests by Gesbeen Mohammad. The spending includes the costs incurred to local police authorities throughout the UK for the 56 days the … Continue reading

The £1m cost of policing the Northern Ireland Olympic torch relay

Help Me Investigate contributor Gesbeen Mohammad has written for Northern Ireland investigative site The Muckraker on the costs of policing the Olympic Torch Relay in the region. She writes: “The final bill for taxpayers came to £1,029,749 – £205,950 for … Continue reading

Wealthy London boroughs paid less for Olympic Torch Relay – investigation

London boroughs with the poorest populations paid more to host Olympic Torch Relay events, while more affluent boroughs spent nothing, according to an investigation by Help Me Investigation users. Waltham Forest spent over £250,000 whereas Westminster incurred no costs. Government data … Continue reading

Council silence over “destroyed” correspondence with Olympic body

One council appeared to save hundreds of thousands of pounds on the Olympic Torch Relay by getting Olympic organisers LOCOG to pay their costs – but for six months they have denied having any records of how that happened. Carol … Continue reading

Hartlepool Council drilled about festival funds raid for Olympic torch relay

Hartlepool Council have defended their decision to fund part of the Olympic Torch Relay with money intended for a maritime festival. The Hartlepool Mail spoke to the council after finding out about the spending through Help Me Investigate. They report: “The … Continue reading

Useful Olympic links for May 21st through June 7th

Olympic news roundup for 11:21: Olympic torch cost £639 a minute through Northampton – Business News – Northampton Chronicle and Echo – ThisIs – Olympic Torch relay costs Waltham Forest second most in UK (From This Is Local London) – … Continue reading

Useful Olympic links for May 10th through May 20th

Olympic news roundup for 20:51: Councils count the cost of London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay | This is Somerset – “The investment we made has proven to be worth every penny and we are in no doubt it will leave … Continue reading

Press Association repeats Olympic torch relay costs investigation – 3 months after Help Me Investigate

The Press Association has picked up on the costs of the Olympic torch relay as it reports on the anniversary of the start of the event Dozens of regional newspapers across the UK have published the newswire story on the … Continue reading

Stoke and Huddersfield papers report on torch relay costs

The Stoke Sentinel and Huddersfield Examiner have reported on Freedom of Information requests from Help Me Investigate about torch relay spending. This is Staffordshire report on the £189,730 cost of the relay to Stoke-on-Trent City Council, while The Huddersfield Daily Examiner’s … Continue reading