6,000 troops to join Olympic ring of steel

The Ministry of Defence has been asked to provide 6,000 troops to help strengthen security at the Olympics after estimates of the number of guards required was dramatically revised.

More than 10,000 personnel are already being provided by G4S but now the Government believes 15,000 to 20,000 guards will be needed and it will take time to get them all vetted.

The MoD is already stretched by budget cuts and overseas commitments but is taking the request to fill the shortfall seriously, though it remains to be decided whether the troops will be in military uniform or not.

Officials from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games are working with the Government to finalise security arrangements. The £100 million cost of the extra guards is not expected to put the Olympics over the £9.3 billion budget or to be a burden on MoD budgets as it would come out of the contingency fund.