Epilepsy claim over 2012 promo

A video promoting the London 2012 Olympics logo has been pulled from the official website over claims it could trigger epileptic fits.Some reports claim that at least eight people suffered seizures having watched the animated footage promoting the bold, jagged £400,00 logo which was unveiled on Monday.Some media commentators have derided the logo - a modern take on the Olympic colours which took a year's research - for looking like a "toileting monkey" or a "broken swastika".On the Change The London 2012 Logo website - www. gopetition.co.uk/petitions/change-the-london-2012-logo.html - Peter Michell from Ipswich wrote: "Look at it closely, it looks like some sort of comical sex act between The Simpsons."In response to concerns about the footage, a spokeswoman said: "This afternoon, we were made aware of concerns about a five second piece of animated footage we used at the launch of the new London 2012 brand on Monday, June 4."This footage - a short animated sequence based around a diver diving into a pool - contained flashing and moving multi-coloured images. We took immediate steps to remove the animation from our website while checks are being conducted."Epileptic photo sensitivity expert Graham Harding said: "We now know of eight cases of which seizures have occurred. What it appears has happened is that the flash rate of the diving sequence contravenes the Ofcom guidelines."He said that susceptibility is particularly prevalent among people aged between seven and 19 and three-quarters of those who suffer from photo sensitivity do so for life.At a press conference at London's City Hall on Tuesday, London Mayor Ken Livingstone was asked whether he liked the logo or not.He joked: "Anything that doesn't have a huge picture of me in it I think falls short of potential." He added: "These are matters of individual taste. I'm fine with it."© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | June 6, 2007