The London organising committee have drafted in soldiers to fill in the empty seats in stadiums across the Olympic venues.

The issue of sparse crowds at certain events during the start of London 2012 made the headlines over the weekend, sparking controversy over the ticketing system.

It is understood that over 50 soldiers were requested to fill in empty seats at the North Greenwich Arena on Sunday morning, while troops, who were scheduled for security duties, were given tickets to watch USA vs. France in the basketball competition.

"We're seat fillers," The Guardian quotes one of the soldiers as saying. "They asked who likes basketball and we put our hands up."

Reports have also claimed that Locog are considering whether to give tickets to G4S staff if they continue to have empty seats at events over the fortnight.