SHADOW sports minister and Kent MP Hugh Robertson has urged the Government to be more open about the costs of staging the 2012 Olympic Games.

The Faversham and Mid Kent MP made his call after the unexpected resignation of the American engineer hired to oversee the huge building project associated with the Games.

Jack Lemley, who was the engineer who built the Channel Tunnel, quit amid claims that he was being frustrated by politicial wrangling in his efforts to push ahead with vital work.

Mr Robertson said he harboured reservations about whether the Government would be able to come in on budget without hitting the taxpayers.

He said: "The Government is not helping itself by being cloak and dagger about what is going on and I would urge ministers to be much more honest and open with people if they want to keep everybody on board."

He revealed that he had asked culture secretary for a full breakdown on costs several weeks ago but had yet to receive a briefing.

He said he it was "inconceivable" that as things stood, costs would not rise. The question was where the money would come from given commitments made about not hitting the taxpayer.

There have been reports that more money might come from the national lottery, raising the prospect of diverting funding to other causes.

However, fellow Kent Labour MP Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheppey), who chairs the all-party Olympics committee, said too much was being read into Mr Lemley’s departure, but accepted the overall costs were likely to overrun.

"It is not uncommon for big projects like this to have problems. These kind of things happened in Athens and Sydney and we are six years away from the actual Games," he said.