A graffiti artist who has previously worked with one of the Games sponsors, adidas has been banned from the Olympics.

Darren Cullen has long been a firm favourite with international brands and has worked with several big names across many advertising and marketing campaigns. However the graffiti artist, who insists he has never painted anywhere illegally, has been arrested during what is being described as a ‘preemptive’ sweep of street artists who police believe may target the Olympic venues.

Cullen has now been banned from entering or basically going anywhere near the Olympic Park or any of the other Game venues.

This seems utterly ridiculous to us. How can you arrest and ban someone for something they haven’t even carried out and that the police have little proof they were going to? Having said that the best thing about street artists has always been their element of surprise and their belief that where there’s a will there’s a way so watch this space. We doubt we’ve seen the last of him.