In what organisers described as the biggest recruitment exercise since World War Two, more than 100,000 people from all over the country have signed up to act as volunteers, with 70,000 spots available during London 2012.

However, despite the number of applications, London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe has encouraged people to continue to sign up.

Coe said: "We will be taking forward applications on merit, ensuring we match the best people to the right volunteer role for them.

"It is not necessarily the first off the blocks that go through and this is not a first come, first served opportunity."

London 2012 is looking for people from all backgrounds and is particularly keen to welcome people from the disabled and deaf communities.

Around 6,000 disabled people have already volunteered to help at London 2012 - a figure Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, Britain's 11-time Paralympic gold medallist, has described as "amazing".

Potential Games Makers must be at least 18 years old by January 1, 2012, although under-18s will be able to go for 1,500 'Young Games Maker' positions from next July.

Games Makers must be able to help out for at least 10 days during either the Olympics or the Paralympics and be available to train for at least three days before the events.

Some grades of volunteer who need to be specialists in their field - such as medicine - are being recruited separately to other members of the public but the 'generalist' roles are available to all and include assisting spectators, distributing uniforms and checking tickets.

Selection and interviews of short-listed applicants will take place from February 2011 to February 2012 before training for the positions begins.

Another 8,000 volunteers - or London Ambassadors - are being recruited by London Mayor Boris Johnson to help provide information to visitors to the capital during the Games and they will be sited at key transport hubs outside venues and tourist hotspots.

The Olympics will run from July 27 to August 12 and the Paralympics from August 29 to September 9, 2012.

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