Olympic VIPs won’t just be able to use the exclusive traffic lanes to get to venues such as the Olympic Park and Anish Kapoor’s Orbit sculpture (pictured) this summer – they could also get a ride in a hydrogen fuel cell taxi.

Five such taxis are joining the capital’s fleet of black cabs to ferry visiting dignitaries during the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

That’s after Deputy London Mayor Kit Malthouse was handed the keys the taxis by the HyTEC (Hydrogen Transport for European Cities) project.

Mr Malthouse said: “London’s hydrogen economy is bounding ahead. The HYTEC project has been a terrific success and it provides great lessons for others to get ahead in the most exciting new industry of the 21st Century.”

Designed by UK technology firm Intelligent Energy along with the London Taxi Company, the five low carbon black cabs will be fuelled at a new hydrogen fuelling station at Heathrow airport.