The chairman of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic bid visited a Teesside watersports centre today.

Barbara Cassani met Bob Bond, manager of the Castlegate Quay Watersports Centre in Stockton, and watched a demonstration of canoeing and sailing by local children.

She also visited other watersport facilities along the River Tees to see how the bid can learn from the experience of the North-East in using sport and cultural activities to help economic regeneration.

The visit was part of a regional tour to talk about how a successful Olympic and Paralympic Bid could bring benefits to the region.

As part of her visit to Stockton, Mrs Cassani took a boat tour along the river to the Tees Barrage, where she watched a demonstration of white water canoeing.

She said: "The watersports facilities on the Tees have played a key role in the redevelopment of the area and there is a great deal that we can learn from the experience of the North-East.

"There is clearly a wide range of excellent facilities in the North-East like the Tees Barrage that could potentially be training camps or host pre-olympic events if the London bid is successful."

Mrs Cassani also met with representatives of the Tees Valley Partnership, One NorthEast, civic leaders and key figures involved in sports and culture.