Free petrol promo jams London streets

08 September, 2008, 17:05

London police called a halt to a videogame promo after it caused traffic chaos in the city. The makers of “Mercenaries 2” were offering a free tank of petrol to any motorist who showed up at a certain filling station.

The promotional campaign began early in the morning. But it wasn’t long before a queue of 40 cars clogged local roads in a North London district, greatly irritating some local residents, reports computerandvideogames.com.

Police intervened, closing the filling station when only half of the planned $US 40,000 worth of fuel had been dished out.

Lynne Featherstone, a Member of Parliament, called the event “irresponsible and downright dangerous”.

The game, distribted by Electronic Arts, is set in Venezuela. The protagonists oppose a dictator who has taken control of the national oil industry – hence the fuel link.