Trafalgar Square to get Olympic makeover

Trafalgar Square is to undergo a dramatic transformation in support of London's Olympic bid.

A 10-metre fibreglass statue of an athlete will be installed alongside Nelson's Column as part of a free exhibition demonstrating how the 2012 Games would transform the city.

Sponsored by Ballymore Properties, the site will include a computergenerated hologram of four-times Olympic champion rower Sir Matthew Pinsent.

The London 2012 Bid Experience will be launched in the square on 19 February, coinciding with the visit of an International Olympic Committee delegation to the capital. It will remain there for two weeks before moving to Canary Wharf for another fortnight.

Visitors will be encouraged to sign up in support of London's bid, which has already registered 500,000 backers across the country.

London 2012 bid chairman Sebastian Coe said: "I would encourage everyone to visit and experience how fantastic it would be if London was to host the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games." The exhibition will use computer graphics to lead visitors on a "virtual" tour along the Thames.