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| Epilepsy fears over Games footage | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A segment of animated footage promoting the 2012 Olympic Games has been removed from the organisers' website after fears it could trigger epileptic fits. | |
| Prof Graham Harding, who developed the test used to measure photo-sensitivity levels in TV material, said it should not be broadcast again. | |
| Charity Epilepsy Action said it had received calls from people who had suffered fits after seeing it. | |
| Organisers London 2012 said it was looking into it as a matter of urgency. | Organisers London 2012 said it was looking into it as a matter of urgency. |
| The jagged emblem, based on the date 2012, was unveiled on Monday as the new logo for the event. | |
| Failed test | Failed test |
| Professor Harding is an expert clinical neuro-physiology and he designed a test which all moving adverts need to undergo to check they will not trigger a reaction in people with epilepsy. | Professor Harding is an expert clinical neuro-physiology and he designed a test which all moving adverts need to undergo to check they will not trigger a reaction in people with epilepsy. |
| He told BBC London 94.9FM: "It fails Harding FPA machine test which is the machine the television industry uses to test images. | |
| "And so it does not comply with Ofcom guidelines and is in contravention of them." | "And so it does not comply with Ofcom guidelines and is in contravention of them." |
| London 2012 told BBC London: "We have just been notified of the problem and we have taken immediate steps to remove the animation from the website. | |
| The brand incorporates both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is ironic as the latter is a showcase for athletes with disabilities Epilepsy Action spokesman | |
| "We will now re-edit the film. We are taking it very seriously and are looking into it as a matter of urgency." | |
| Christopher Filmer rang BBC London 94.9FM to say he suffered a seizure while watching the logo on television and his girlfriend also suffered a fit and needed hospital treatment. | Christopher Filmer rang BBC London 94.9FM to say he suffered a seizure while watching the logo on television and his girlfriend also suffered a fit and needed hospital treatment. |
| "The logo came up on TV and I was thinking about the 2012 and then I was out," he said. | "The logo came up on TV and I was thinking about the 2012 and then I was out," he said. |
| Epilepsy Action said the images could affect the 23,000 people in the UK who have photosensitive epilepsy. | |
| It said it has even triggered breakthrough seizures where people have a relapse after being seizure-free for a long time. | |
| A spokesman for the charity said: "The brand incorporates both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which is ironic as the latter is a showcase for athletes with disabilities. | |
| "People can strive for years to gain seizure control and it is important that nothing puts this at risk." |