The jagged emblem, designed to define the image of the Games in five years' time, comes in a series of bright shades of pink, blue, green and orange, and includes the signature five Olympic rings emblazoned onto the "0".

 

Organisers hope the logo, designed to be instantly recognisable worldwide, will help boost its campaign to raise two billion pounds to stage the Games.

 

But critics were not impressed.

 

Within hours an online petition to have it ditched had gained nearly 5,000 signatures.

 

One signatory called it "puerile rubbish" while another said: "I love it — just kidding."

 

One backer of the petition to dump the logo said: "Surely the logo is a representation of the SS icon."

 

And another said: "Any art teacher worth his crayons would have turned it down."

 

Bob Neill, 2012 Olympics spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party, was disparaging about Coe's optimism, despite him being a fellow Tory lawmaker.

 

He said: "Lord Coe has described this logo as 'ambitious, interactive and youth-friendly'.

 

"I would describe it as hideous.

 

"Questions need be answered as to how we have ended up in this situation.

 

"Was there an open competition to supply the designs?

 

"If so, what on earth do the rejected ones look like!

 

"We need to know how much money this exercise has cost, because whatever it was, it's been a complete waste of money."

 

Darren Johnson, Green Party London Assembly member and chairman of the London Assembly Environment Committee, said: "Launching a new 'brand' less than two years after winning the bid is a distraction from the real business of delivering the Games on time and to budget. 

 

"Instead of spending huge sums on a new image, the Olympic organisers should focus on improving their environment and transport plans instead. 

 

"The logo is Awful, outdated and a waste of money."

 

Initial public reaction was also less than positive.

 

One contributor on the Times Educational Supplement forum said: "It's like a mock Nazi emblem from a 1950s B movie predicting the end of the world."

 

Another said: "It looks more like a diagram of the digestive system that I had to learn for 'O' Level Biology in the '50s - and we are paying for this tosh!"

 

"This logo makes me embarrassed to be English," said a contributor called Clumbers on one online message site devoted to the logo, which was devoid of supporters of the chosen design.

 

"It looks like it could have been done by a six year old. I could do better with my eyes closed," added someone called Bige.

 

A poll by the BBC News website asked readers to give it a gold, silver or bronze medal, or a wooden spoon if they really didn't like it. Eighty three percent gave it a wooden spoon.