Organisers of the 2012 London Olympics on Tuesday defended its newly unveiled logo following widespread public criticism that it was "hideous" and a waste of money.

The jagged emblem, based on the date 2012, was unveiled on Monday by Seb Coe, chairperson of the London 2012 organising committee.

But an online petition calling for it to be scrapped has more than 17 000 signatures and over 3 000 messages have been posted on the BBC Sport website.

But a London 2012 spokesperson told BBC Sport: "The emblem is flexible and will evolve over the next five years.

"Our emblem needs to be modern, bold, flexible and as relevant today as in five years' time.

"We want our Games to be different. We are hosting them in a different era, in 2012.

"The emblem needs to work across new platforms that reach young people."

Coe, the former 800m and 1 500m world record holder who won gold in the 1 500m at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, defended the logo designed by the Wolff Olins agency at a cost of £400 000.

"It won't be to everybody's taste immediately, but it's a brand that we genuinely believe can be hardworking ... and reach out and engage young people, which is our challenge is over the next five years," he told BBC Sport.

"It's not a logo, it's a brand that will take us forward for the next five years." -- AFP