500,000 give support to Olympics bid

Half a million Britons have pledged their support for a London Olympics, bid organisers announced today.

It comes as an unprecedented campaign to deck the capital in promotional regalia gets under way in advance of next week's arrival of Olympic chiefs. The 14-strong delegation from the International Olympic Committee will spend four days assessing London's ability to host the 2012 Games.

Today's announcement that the London bid has its 500,000th supporter has provided a major boost to morale. Organisers have been collecting pledges at roadshows and via text message and the internet.