Soil is being cut from areas that need to be lowered and used to fill others that need to be raised.

Progress to dig out soil on the Olympic Stadium site, where an innovative bowl design is being used for the track and permanent seating, is well underway. Over 50,000 tonnes of earth a week are being dug enabling construction on the Olympic Stadium to start two to three months early.

David Higgins, ODA chief executive said: "We are on track to meet our milestone to clean and clear most of the Olympic Park by the Beijing Games. It is a major challenge but now that demolition is complete on the ‘Big Five’ venue sites the big dig is at full throttle."

Forty-five dump trucks are currently moving excavated soil within the site, some carrying up to forty tonnes at a time.