3,500 extra troops for Olympics
The UK armed forces are on standby to will provide an extra 3,500 soldiers to assist with security during the Olympics after fears emerged that contractor G4S will not be able to provide sufficient personnel in time.
The move will increase the total number of British servicemen and women being provided for Olympic security to 17,000.
Soldiers serving with the British Army in Germany have had their notice to move shortened, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
A spokesperson for G4S said "We have encountered some issues in relation to workforce supply and scheduling over the last couple of weeks, but are resolving these every day and remain committed to providing a security workforce for the start of the London 2012 Games."
The new troops will carry out tasks such as vehicle screening, pedestrian screening and perimeter security tasks. According to the MoD.
Tessa Jowell, Labour’s Shadow Olympics Minister said it was “imperative” that the Games are “safe and secure”, calling the situation “a serious problem”.
“We need to know why the problem has emerged so late in the day and precisely what has been agreed to. We also must know whether this affects Army commitments elsewhere, which units are providing people and what terms and conditions are given for those who will likely lose periods of leave,” she added.