LIVERPOOL Football Club's plans to build a new 60,000-seater stadium have been approved by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

The Premiership club received planning approval in July but needed Prescott to rubber stamp the project due to its size and the scale of opposition to it.

"This is extremely good news, it is obviously another big step towards our new stadium and I am delighted," said Liverpool chairman Rick Parry.

"It is not the final hurdle, but another very, very significant one."