Soldiers could be called upon to help with London Olympics

Nov 4, 2011, 14:42 GMT

London - Up to 6,000 soldiers could be drafted in to help make up a shortfall of properly qualified security staff at next year's London Olympics, it emerged Friday.

The government, while not explicitly confirming a report in the Financial Times, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had been 'fully involved in supporting Olympic security planning work.'

According to the FT, Olympic organizers have asked for the troops following a drastic reassessment of the manpower required to secure the 2012 Olympics in London.

Organizers have already recruited some 10,000 guards for Olympic venues via leading private security company G4S. But a recent reassessment had shown that between 15,000 and 20,000 might be needed, said the FT.

Because of difficulties in completing the necessary security clearance of any additional candidates on time, the call had gone out to the army to cover the shortfall during the Games from July 27 to August 12.

'We are committed to delivering a safe and secure Games...As with all significant national events, we will make the best and most appropriate use of available resources,' a statement released by the Home Office said.