LOCOG, the Olympics organising committee, has disclosed that more than 80% of all Olympics tickets, which is around seven million, have been sold.

LOCOG said excluding football, 90% of all tickets had been sold. While several thousands of tickets are yet to be made available, most tickets were remaining for volleyball, boxing, weightlifting and basketball.

There had been a small trickle of returned tickets including one or two pairs of 100 metres finals seats which would be released on to the general website when cleared for resale. Locog said it was “very close” to its revenue target of £600 million, which includes VAT.

The organiser’s ticketing system has drawn criticism in the past, with its sales website seemingly unable to cope with the demand for tickets. In some cases, the system reportedly mistakenly informed potential buyers they had secured tickets, only to then tell them that they had not.

Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and London Mayor Boris Johnson also witnessed the suspension of the giant Olympic rings under the high-level walkway of Tower Bridge. The 82 feet (25 metres) wide rings, which weigh three tonnes, cost £259,817 to produce and around £53,000 to install.

“The Olympic rings are an iconic symbol, inspiring athletes and uniting people around the world. To athletes they represent the culmination of thousands of hours of training and reaching the highest level in sport”, Lord Sebastian Coe said.

“With one month to go to the Olympic Games opening ceremony, these spectacular rings on one of London’s most famous landmarks will excite and inspire residents and visitors in the capital”, he added.

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