London 2012 Olympics

London (CNN) -- British soldiers will be asked to act as temporary placeholders in premium seating at Olympic events, as organizers attempt to avoid the spectacle of empty seats at venues.
The approach of filling venues with soldiers -- initially brought in to provide security at the Olympics following issues with a contractor -- began after accredited seating allocated to officials, athletes, sponsors and media went unused for stretches of the first weekend of competition.
A spokeswoman for the London organizing committee said Sunday it had begun offering empty seats in accredited areas to soldiers who had finished their security shifts, but remained on the grounds.
"If they want to sit there and watch, they can," said Sebastian Coe, chairman of the organizing committee. "It's not mobilizing the army to solve this."