UNITED KINGDOM: With just two weeks to go before the start of 2012 London Olympics British authorities call in thousands of extra troops to beef up security

Record ID: 331040

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: With just two weeks to go before the start of 2012 London Olympics British authorities call in thousands of extra troops to beef up security
  • Date: 12th July 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS OPERATING HIGH VELOCITY MISSILE (HVM) TYPHOON JET TAKING OFF MISSILES WHICH MIGHT BE DEPLOYED DURING THE OLYMPIC GAMES HMS OCEAN SAILING THROUGH THAMES BARRIER SOLDIER WITH GUN ON BOARD HMS OCEAN
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Defence / Military,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA66K1FTVLETH1I01G2OOJV2G2H
  • Story Text: British media on Wednesday (July 11) quoted a Whitehall source saying that Britain's military is to provide up to 3,500 extra troops for security duty at the Olympics it as revealed on Wednesday (July 11) amid fears that the private firm G4S will not be able to supply enough personnel.
    The announcement comes two weeks before the start of the 2012 London Olympic Games.
    The overall 23,700-strong security force for the Games will include a mix of military, private security guards and at least 3,000 unpaid London 2012 volunteers who will be used at the start of the security process.
    Some 13,500 troops are already involved in a wide variety of Olympics-related roles across Britain, including 7,500 for venue security.
    The extra troops would bring the total number of security to 11,000 and the total number of military troops to 17,000 according to the Press Association.
    The troops are expected to provide specialist support such as air security, search teams, communications and logistics.
    The Press Association quoted the Home Office as saying that the British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond is to announce more details about the extra troops on thursday (July 12).
    News of the use of extra troops so close to Olympic lift-off has anger opposition members of parliament who asked why the need appeared to have come to light so late in the day.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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