PLANS to set up a big screen in York in time for the 2012 Olympics have been scrapped.

Officials say they have abandoned the idea after they failed to find a suitable site.

City leaders had hoped to team up with the BBC as part of its national “The Big Screens” project to help bring the excitement of the London Olympic Games to cities across the country. But York will not now be among the 20 cities involved.

The site of the old “splash palace” toilet block in Parliament Street had been suggested, but the building has yet to be demolished and no other sites were agreeable.

A council spokeswoman said: “We could not identify a suitable site for the BBC that all parties were happy with.”

Former council leader Andrew Waller had spoken in favour of a big screen. His successor James Alexander yesterday declined to comment on the issue.

Big Screens will be located in Edinburgh, Belfast, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Derby, Leicester, Birmingham, Coventry, Norwich, Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol, Swindon, Waltham Forest, Woolwich, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Dover.