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Billions of television viewers around the world were the victims of another act of trickery during the opening ceremony that won high acclaim for its breathless scale, brilliant execution and awesome artistry.

Beijing officials confirmed yesterday that supposedly live pictures of fireworks depicting 28 footprints moving from Tiananmen Square to the Olympic stadium were touched up for television.

Wang Wei, vice-president of the organising committee, insisted that the dazzling fireworks had exploded on the night and that most of the television images were genuine, but admitted that “some previously recorded footage” was used because of poor visibility.

Gao Xiaolong, head of the visual effects team, said that computer graphics of the “footprints of fire” were inserted with a slight wobble to simulate a helicopter fly-by.

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The “live” coverage was carried by hundreds of international broadcasters, including the BBC. It took almost a year to create the 55-second digital sequence, which would have been impossible to film from the air because of the nofly zone above Beijing that night and the danger to pilots from skyward rockets.

A BBC spokeswoman said that it “had taken the feed in good faith” from the host broadcaster, which it received via the International Olympic Committee. Political pressures mean that broadcasters are reluctant to start a conflict with the Chinese, and the BBC had not formally taken up the matter with the IOC. An insider said: “I don’t think we want to get drawn into a row with the Chinese.”

Digital trickery and clever choreography in opening ceremonies are nothing new. When Antonio Rebello, the Paralympic archer, fired a flaming arrow towards a cauldron perched on the rim of the Olympic stadium in Barcelona in 1992, he missed. A gradual release of fuel from the giant bowl, and swift remedial action, ensured that the Olympic flame was lit and the Games could begin.

However, the lengths to which Beijing officials are prepared to go to stage-manage the Games reflects a deep sense of paranoia about how these Olympics reflect on China. It is this lack of confidence, analysts say, that has also led to them insisting that only the most beautiful and slim women present medals to athletes.

Xiao Qiang, director of the China Internet project at the University of California, said: “I do not think the Chinese State realises how unethical this is. They don’t understand what kind of values they are reflecting.”

Three official protest parks set up around the city, to allow people to host peaceful demonstrations, resemble ghost towns. So far, despite claims that there is freedom of speech during the Games, not a single application to protest has been approved.

Zhang Wei, who braved the complicated process of applying five days in advance to protest against her forced eviction over an urban renewal project, was detained by police for allegedly disturbing public order.

In a further tweaking of reality, Olympic organisers admitted yesterday to deploying “cheer squads” to create a noise in the sports venues and disguise blocks of empty seats. Legions of spectators wearing yellow T-shirts and banging oversized inflatable batons in unison have been highly visible at events during the first week, including the volleyball, shooting, fencing, judo and rowing.

Far from being excitable and knowledgeable fans, the well-drilled crowd are volunteers shipped in to “create a good atmosphere” by supporting all competitors.

Besides filling the venues with perfectly orchestrated fun, the fake fans serve the useful function of filling empty rows at what is technically the first sold-out Olympics in history. Meanwhile, real fans are locked outside the stadiums. After 6.8 million tickets were snapped up by official tour operators and Chinese applicants, foreign visitors and the local people who missed out in the lotteries have to restort to touts charging up to 30 times the face value.

A military tank parked in front of the media centre is further evidence that the Chinese plan to stifle any spontaneous public activities with overbearing security.

The irony is that the clampdown is clearly at odds with the very image of “fun” that the Communist Party is trying so hard to project.