ONE IN EIGHT London school children can watch the 2012 Olympic Games for free as part of a scheme to motivate young people to take up sports.

In a deal reached with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralymic Games (LOCOG), mayor of London Boris Johnson has been able to secure funding for 125,000 tickets for London schools signed up to the LOCOG’s ‘Get Set’ education programme.

Nearly 60 per cent of schools are currently signed up to the programme, but it is expected that the ticket offer, funded by the London 2012 Hospitality Programme, will boost participation of schools in Get Set to nearly 100 per cent.

Mr Johnson said: “I hope that this offer motivates thousands of young Londoners to get out there and take up a sport so we can see a new generation of athletes from our very own city going for gold in 2016 and beyond.”

LOCOG Chairman, Seb Coe, said: “We are proud of this innovative scheme which will do what we have promised to do – get young people to the Games.”