Thousands of campaigners have asked Prime Minister Tony Blair to intervene to stop the demolition of an Edinburgh athletics stadium.

A Meadowbank Stadium online petition to Mr Blair had attracted more than 3,000 signatures when it closed on Wednesday.

Save Meadowbank campaigners are against the stadium being replaced by hundreds of homes and council plans to move running clubs to a new Sighthill site.

Unite the Clubs members marched in the city last month in protest.

The petition was also backed by MSPs Colin Fox and Tommy Sheridan and BBC Radio presenter Edith Bowman, who hails from Edinburgh.

'Fantastic response'

Kevin Connor, Save Meadowbank spokesman, said: "This was a fantastic response considering the campaign only started last week.

"Many thousands more have signed paper petitions. The response has been exceptional. People really want to save Meadowbank."