It has caused some consternation on Portland that the stone from the shelley Roach bed of the Dorset island’s famous limestone has been used to make a mould to cast concrete for use as external cladding on the athletes’ accommodation in the Olympic Village in London.

As far as the islanders are concerned it is a missed opportunity for the Olympic construction team to benefit from the stone from which most of London’s most distinguished built heritage is constructed and cut the carbon content of the project into the bargain.

At least the stone has been used for Olympic construction work on the island of Portland itself, which will be the base for the sailing events.

Albion Stone has previously supplied stone for paving inside and out in the harbour area and has now supplied 7,000m2 of walling and 760m of dressed copings for the competitors’ accommodation above Portland’s Osprey Quay.