A woman who gatecrashed India’s parade at the Olympic opening ceremony was a member of the cast from the extravaganza but should not have been with the athletes, London 2012 chief Sebastian Coe has said. Indian officials were incensed by her unauthorised presence.

“She made it into the opening ceremony. She obviously should not have been there. I can now confirm that she was a cast member. She was slightly overexcited.”

“How did they allow her in? It was a security lapse. Nobody knows who she was. She looks like an Indian,” IOA Vice President Tarlochan Singh said. “She walked along in the front line. Her dress was totally different. She was not wearing an identity card. This should have been noticed at an earlier stage, but nobody bothered.”