The London Games in 2012 will beat Beijing by being more "democratic", Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said in comments published on Saturday.

The 2012 Games will get the public far more involved and try harder to fill empty seats in the stadiums, she said, according to The Independent newspaper.

The London Olympics organisers have faced questions about how they hope to match the spectacle put on by Beijing earlier in August 2008, particularly the lavish opening ceremony.

"We don't want to try to emulate Beijing. What we want is new ways of thinking about the opening ceremony," Jowell said.

I think what you will see is a very vivid sense of celebration right across the city at both the opening and closing ceremonies,” she  added.

Jowell said the Beijing Games were very impressive but London could improve on them in a number of areas.

"In terms of great organisation, fantastic facilities, and a welcoming attitude and pride among the people, Beijing was superb," she said.

"But there are things we can and will do better. I also want to minimise the number of empty seats in stadiums, which frustrate the public and keep them at a distance for no reason. And I want our volunteers to be trained better and given a more clearly defined role. Jowell said organisers were considering using the ticketing system employed at the Wimbledon tennis championships, whereby spectators who leave early hand in their tickets, which are re-sold at a bargain rate,” she added.

"We want to create the expectation that seats will have people on them, You can't stop sponsors buying seats, nor should you - but we must maximise the public's chances of seeing the games first-hand," she said.