London Olympic visitors to undergo strick security checks
London Olympic visitors to undergo strick security checks
by: Lucy Carne in London From: News Limited newspapers
May 31, 2012
VISITORS to London’s Olympic Games will under go strict airport-style security checks, including a ban on liquids over 100mls, when entering venues.
While a sandwich per person has been declared safe, picnics will not be permitted in the Olympic park, it was also revealed.
Security chiefs insist the tight lock down will not impact on spectators’ enjoyment when the biggest show on earth begins next month.
At an Olympic security and safety briefing yesterday, Minister for Crime and Security James Brokenshire said the screenings will provide reassurance.
“The nature and style of what people will be experiencing will be very much the same as you would expect if you were traveling on an aircraft and going through standard airport security,” he said.
LOCOG Chief Executive Paul Deighton insisted the airport checks will not trigger massive waits for Games-goers.
He said: “I would be surprised to see queues longer than 15 or 20 minutes at the absolute peak times. I don’t think there will be much queuing at all.”
Olympic security has come under fire after spending topped $1.6 billion.
Sydney’s pre-9/11 Olympic security bill in 2000 came in at only $179.6 million.
Security guards have also been encouraged to smile and not alienate sports fans with overzealous policing.
The recommendation followed an incident during the start of the torch relay when a police security team grabbed an onlooker who they believed came too close to the torch and pushed him into a hedge.
Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, who is the National Olympic Security Coordinator, said they were ready for anything and were preparing for the UK’s terrorism security threat level to be raised from ‘substantial’ to ‘severe’ for the Games.
He said they had “looked at all attack methodologies”, from biological weapons to ‘lone wolf’ operators.
“Whatever they’ve used before – whether it’s been devices, whether it’s been Mumbai-style – those are the sorts of things we’ve considered and we’ve put in place appropriate security regimes,” he said.
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