THE man who led Newcastle and Gateshead's campaign for European Capital of Culture has been asked to advise the Government on its Olympics 2012 bid.

Paul Collard, 49, will join an advisory group tasked with looking at the cultural element of the games.

He said: "The idea is that, if we win the bid, there should be a huge cultural festival.

"A festival would be the major way in which the whole country can share in the Olympics.

"In London, there is a huge buzz about Newcastle and Gateshead and the idea that we are doing something special. They very much wanted to have a voice from the region on board."

Mr Collard, who travels to London next week for the group's first brainstorming session, has been appointed creative director of Culture 10, an initiative to build on Newcastle and Gateshead's cultural resurgence.

He steps down as chairman of the Arts Council North-East to take on the role.

He said: "Culture 10 is designed to build on the momentum of the European Capital of Culture bid and developing the Newcastle Gateshead brand.

"But that doesn't just mean what happens in Newcastle and Gateshead. It is about re-presenting the North-East as a whole and giving it a new feel. It is a programme designed to bring economic benefits to the region."

One NorthEast, Newcastle and Gateshead councils, the Arts Council and the Northern Rock Foundation have put £51m into the project, which will run until the end of the decade.