A CANVEY man who registered an array of website names in a bid to “cash in” on the London 2012 Olympics has been ordered to hand them over to Olympic bosses.

David Tiley, 49, of Station Road, registered 12 almost identical internet domain names such as 2012londonolympictickets.co.uk in the days after it was announced the capital would be hosting the games, back in 2005.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games decided to complain to Nominet – the organisation that deals with disputes involving the use of internet domain names.

Valuable web addresses can sell for thousands of pounds, but Nominet expert Anna Carboni ordered Mr Tiley to hand over all 12 for nothing.

Giving her judgment she said: “In view of the timing of the original registrations, immediately following the high-profile public announcement of the successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games in London, it is highly likely that the respondent registered the domain names with a view to cashing in on the event.”

Most of the names lead to blank websites, but two take the user to websites offering tickets for sale to West End shows and strip clubs.

Both feature the word Olympic spelt incorrectly and had a link to a site which claims to offer 2012 London summer games tickets.

Ms Carboni said Mr Tiley was undoubtedly aware of the value of the domain names and the strict controls that would be put in place on who could sell tickets. He could also have made money from advertising in the meantime.

She said: “I find the complainant has rights in respect of names and marks, which are similar to each of the domain names and that the domain names, in the hands of the respondent, are all abusive registrations.”

She ordered Mr Tiley to transfer all the registrations to the organising committee for the games.