London 2012 Olympics: Locog Release 3,000 Extra Tickets After Empty Seats Fiasco

Locog has released 3,000 extra tickets for the London Olympics - despite claiming most venues are "packed to the rafters."

The organising committee said they have a number of ways to fill the spectacle of empty seats which has blighted the first two days of sport.

A London 2012 spokesperson said: "The atmosphere in our venues, both yesterday and today, has been terrific, and most venues are packed to the rafters."

They added they would release tickets "when we can," saying they had released 1,000 gymnastic tickets which were "within the accredited seating areas and next to public seating."

Soldiers have been drafted in to fill the empty seats

"We will also fill empty accredited seats with other accredited personnel. We are able to offer empty seats to troops who have finished their shifts and are on the Park. We can do this because the Troops are accredited, and we started doing this today," the spokesperson said.

Jackie Brock-Doyle, Locog's director of communications, said they had been able to get back 3,000 and re-sell them - a move they will do each day to make sure as many seats as possible are filled.

"We talked to the International Federations yesterday, we were able to put back into the pot for sale around 3,000 tickets last night, they have all been sold," she said.

"That includes about 600 for the gymnastics event today and we're going to do that on a day-to-day basis."

Earlier on Monday Shadow Olympics minister Dame Tessa Jowell demanded urgent action, saying seats should go to fans.

Dame Tessa praised Locog chairman Lord Coe for announcing plans to make more seats available to frustrated fans angry at officials and sponsors who have not used their allocation.

She told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "We've got to get people into those seats today, tomorrow and the next day.

"I think the measures Seb Coe announced yesterday go quite a long way into that, together with the recycling of tickets for people who are already in the park.

Dame Tessa said the International Olympic Committee should work with Locog to unlock tickets for genuine fans eager to glimpse a slice of the action.

She added: "They own the Games, they have got to be part of the solution to this particular problem of the sporting federations and these accredited seats remaining empty.

"However, we can't wait for that medium-term resolution."

The seats have even led to a spoof twitter account, which has gained over 10,000 followers.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the empty seats are "very disappointing" and suggested they could be offered to members of the public.

He added: "I was at the Beijing Games, in 2008, and one of the lessons that we took away from that, is that full stadia create the best atmosphere, it's best for the athletes, it's more fun for the spectators, it's been an absolute priority.

"Locog are doing a full investigation into what happened, I think it was accredited seats that belonged to sponsors, but if they're not going to turn up, we want those tickets to be available for members of the public, because that creates the best atmosphere."

Prime Minister David Cameron said he thought Locog were "doing a good job of getting on top of that particular problem".

He was briefed on the latest situation by a senior Games official at this morning's daily meeting of the Government's Olympic Cobra contingency committee.

Downing Street said the empty seats were "disappointing" but insisted it was a matter for Locog which was "looking at all the options".

Asked if that meant the Government had no power to intervene, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: "We have influence; it's the Government."

The spokeswoman said Mr Cameron had been "very impressed" with the Games so far.

"There are bound to be challenges throughout the Games due to their scale and complexity but he was very impressed with the progress so far, very impressed with the opening ceremony," she said.

"He was very pleased at how positively received the Olympics had been around the world and he hoped that would continue."

SEE ALSO:

• Tessa Jowell Says Empty Seats Should Be Filled With Fans
• Schoolchildren Given Front Row Seats For Free In Order To Fill Empty Spaces
• London 2012: Olympic Cauldron Extinguished