City chiefs consider games bid.

BIRMINGHAM could have an athletics stadium with a 25,000 capacity if the city wins the right to stage the Commonwealth Games, it emerged today.

The city is considering bidding for the 2022 or 2026 Games and leisure boss Coun Martin Mullaney said the size of the city's Alexander Stadium would have to be massively increased from 8,000 to 25,000 by 2022.

In the short term, the stadium will be improved in time to act as a preOlympic Games training base for the American track and field team in 2012.

"We haven't decided yet whether to go for the Commonwealth Games but if we do decide to bid we would have to increase the capacity of the stadium," he said.

"Resurfacing of the running track would have happened, anyway, but it will be done in time for the Americans."

The refurbishment of the netted area for discus and hammer throwing and resurfacing of the running track are two of the conditions demanded by the United States team in return for choosing to train here before heading to London for the Games.

Coun Mullaney is expected to outline his vision for a new-look Alexander Stadium in the autumn.

But he is determined that Birmingham does not fall into the trap of other cities that have hosted the Commonwealth Games, with a huge and costly "white elephant" stadium rarely used to its full capacity.

About 10,000 of the extra seats could be removed when the games have finished.