London's 2012 Olympic mascots

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic mascots called Wenlock and Mandeville have been unveiled.

They look like two little steel aliens with one eye each and a yellow light on top of their heads as a homage to London Taxis.

Wenlock's name comes from the village of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England - which hosted a precursor to the modern Olympic Games in the 19th Century.

Mandeville is named after the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, Stoke Mandeville hospital in Buckinghamshire also in England.

The games' organisers hope they will make a lot of money, but inevitably perhaps they have come in for criticism.