Martyn Dore, a businessman who was previously involved with operating greyhound racing at the now closed Reading Stadium, has failed in his bid to bring greyhound racing back to the Coventry area.

Mr Dore has had to abandon plans to reopen the greyhound track at Brandon's Coventry Stadium, where dog racing ended last December, after the company running it went out of business.

He recently made the following press statement, after the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) refused to grant him a licence to operate the track:-

"We regret that following strenuous efforts to procure agreements to operate Greyhound Racing at Coventry we are unable to satisfy the GBGB and although we have reached agreement with The Gambling Commission, Licensing Authority, the Stadium owner and other Governing bodies the
GBGB will not grant the relevant licences to commence.

"We have carried out a great deal of work and made a large financial commitment but feel we have now reached a point where we are unable to proceed.

"The GBGB are not satisfied with the lease or the business plan we submitted despite these being passed and accepted by the other agencies.

"We would like to thanks all the trainers, owners, staff and suppliers for their wonderful support and regret that we are being forced to take this action."

Tony Peters, UK Co-ordinator for international greyhound protection group Greyhound Action, expressed delight at the failure of Mr Dore's plans.

Mr Peters said: "We are very happy that this bid to reopen the dog track has failed and we hope it will now remain closed permanently.

"Our local supporters will be very relieved too, as they fought long and hard to end greyhound racing at Brandon, after it restarted there in 2004, following a lapse of 18 years.

"The Greyhound Board of Great Britain were no doubt terrified that the company set up by Mr Dore to run greyhound racing at Coventry Stadium would be forced, by poor attendances, to go out of business, owing a whole potfull of money, like the two previous ones that tried to make
a go of dog racing at the there.

"Our local supporters held demonstrations outside the stadium almost every Saturday evening and were highly successful in persuading members of the public not to go dog racing again.

"Attendances got so low that, in the end, there was little more than a handful of people going in.

"If greyhound racing were to return to Coventry Stadium, it would be a tragedy for the dogs, as the very existence of a major track like that is responsible for the putting to death of well over 400 greyhounds per year.

"According to recent research, more than 12,000 greyhounds, bred for the British racing industry, are 'put down' annually, after failing to make the grade as racers or when their 'careers' on the tracks come to an end.

"An RSPCA report on greyhound racing has stated that 'at least 20 greyhounds a day - either puppies which do not make the track, or retired dogs aged three or four - simply disappear, presumed killed'.

"Thousands of injuries to greyhounds, many of them serious, occur every year in Britain, mainly because the shape of the tracks, with fast straights leading into tight bends,creates a very dangerous environment for dogs to run in.

"Members of the public can help put an end to this horrific situation by not attending dog tracks or betting on greyhound racing, so this appalling industry fades away through lack of financial support."