Now Olympic logo is under fire for triggering migraines

The controversial 2012 Olympics logo ran into more trouble today as it emerged that a video promoting it had triggered migraines and epileptic fits.

The IOC is also now set to investigate the logo and politicians say it's childish and looks 'like Boris Johnson's hair'.

Epilepsy Action said it had received reports of 22 people having fits while watching the video, with reports of others vomiting and having

migraines.

The charity said a seizure could have a

"major impact" on epilepsy sufferers' lives, potentially leading to them losing their driving licences.

The promotional video was a "catastrophic mistake", according to London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

The latest catastrophe comes on the day it emerged that London Olympics chiefs will be quizzed on the fiasco surrounding the logo during a visit by inspectors from the International Olympic Committee next week.

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Members of the 12-strong "coordination commission" admit privately they have been surprised by the public outcry over the logo and will want to know whether it will damage public confidence in the project or deter commercial partners.

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Most of the members of the coordination commission are IOC members who live and work abroad.

The focus of their visit will be whether the public revolt over the £400,000 logo will damage the host city's balance sheet.

Meanwhile Education Secretary Alan Johnson dismissed the new logo with the observation that it looks "like Boris Johnson's hair". He joked: "I think it looks a bit like Boris Johnson's hairstyle."

The suggestion drew a crisp response from the Conservative MP for Henley and shadow higher education minister.

Mr Johnson said: "You can say what you like about my hairstyle but at least it has not yet induced epilepsy. And it cost considerably less than £400,000 to design."

In a Commons early day motion, Tory Philip Davies attacked the design as a "pathetic attempt to appear trendy" and called for it to be scrapped.

The cost was a "spectacular waste of money" and could deter firms from sponsoring the Games, he added.

The motion follows news that an online petition against the logo had been closed after its organiser conceded the design was "here to stay".

But, in two days, 48,615 people had added their names to it.

It emerged that the Olympic Committee had feared the film - featuring flashing lights and psychedelic colours - might cause seizures, and even put up warning signs at the official launch in London as a precaution.

Yet the committee, headed by Lord Coe, put the film on the 2012 website and released it to broadcasters, causing serious epileptic fits in several viewers.

Andy Peacher-Finch, 32, from Manchester, who had a major seizure after seeing the footage on TV, said: "I'm angry this film was ever allowed to be shown and I'm disappointed that no one has so far seen fit to apologise."

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Mr Livingstone, who reportedly "hates" the graffiti-style logo, said the London-based LIVE agency, which made the film, should not be paid.

"I wouldn't pay them a penny," he said.

"Who would go to a firm like that again to ask them to do that work? I mean, this is a pretty basic thing."

Live was paid an undisclosed fee to produce the minute-long video used to launch the 2012 logo, which was designed by brand consultants Wolff Olins at a cost of £400,000.

Epilepsy Action said the number of people affected by the film was "unprecedented".

A spokesman said: "Normally if there is a programme on TV with flashing lights we might get one or two reports of people suffering seizures as a result.

"So far we have received 22 such reports relating

to the Olympics film."

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The video was withdrawn on Tuesday as the 2012 committee announced an investigation into whether it had breached broadcasting guidelines which state that precautions should be taken to ensure footage does not trigger photosensitive epilepsy.

Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom said it was investigating several complaints that TV channels had breached its guidelines.

The backlash against the logo itself reached new heights, with 45,000 signing an online petition calling for the "ridiculous" emblem to be scrapped.

But former Olympic gold medallist Lord Coe, who is colour-blind, stood by the "edgy" and

"flexible" design, which comes in bright shades of pink, orange, green and blue.

The London Olympic Games Organising Committee,

or Logoc, said ditching the design was "not an option".

It will now re-edit the launch video, removing

a five-second excerpt of a diver jumping into a pool which explodes in ripples of flashing bright

colours.

Logoc will consult Epilepsy Action before putting any reworked version of the film on its website.