Lights won't change for London Olympics VIPs

London will have Beijing-style lanes reserved for VIPs – but they will not get special treatment at traffic lights (GETTY)

Olympic officials and sponsors will speed past thousands of ordinary Londoners stuck in traffic during next year's Olympic Games as part of controversial plans which give so-called VIPs extraordinary access to the capital's roads.

Hundreds of BMWs will transport International Olympic Committee members and executives from top sponsors such as British Airways, Coca-Cola and Visa to events across London. This comes despite promises by Lord Coe that the Olympic Roads Network (ORN) would be used only to ensure that athletes and essential games officials such as referees, coaches and drug testers, arrived at venues on time.

But last night Transport for London categorically denied reports in the Mail on Sunday that VIP cars would be fitted with devices that trigger red lights to turn green. It said "key vehicles" would be monitored but there would be no special traffic measures for VIPs.