Lord Coe says BP is 'trusted partner' of 2012 Olympics

London Olympics chairman Lord Coe has said the Gulf of Mexico oil spill will not harm BP's sponsorship of the 2012 Games.

He said the oil giant was a "trusted partner", adding the spill "does not make a difference to us at all".

Lord Coe and BP regional vice president Peter Mather were attending an event to promote the London 2012 Cultural Weekend, which takes place in July.

BP is a top tier sponsor of the 2012 Games.

Lord Coe said: "They [BP] were with us during the bid and now they are with us as partners doing the delivery phase.

Share 'vision'

"They are an example of a world class company who are working with us, sharing our vision and bringing it forward."

Mr Mather defended BP's actions in the oil spill crisis.

"Our focus as a company is 100% on the Gulf of Mexico, doing the right thing - doing the right thing on the seabed and our focus is also on the shore," he said.

Eleven people died when an explosion destroyed the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April.

Owned and operated by Transocean, the rig was being leased by BP.

The latest estimates suggest 35,000-60,000 barrels of oil are leaking into the Gulf every day in what many are calling the worst environmental disaster in US history.

To promote the third annual Open Cultural Weekend, 2012 medal hopefuls are taking part in a range of cultural challenges.

Triathlete Alistair Brownlee is learning how to dance with Step Up Bradford and cyclist Ed Clancy is taking up 'bicycle ballet' in Manchester.

Meanwhile, fellow cyclist Wendy Houvenaghel turned her hand to reading Pride and Prejudice with a theatre company in Bradford.

Lord Coe tried out free running in Westminster.