Thousands of UK government troops needed for Olympics security

Up to 3,500 extra troops will be needed for security duties during the Olympics amid fears that private firm G4S will not be able to meet the needs, the British Defence Secretary will say today.

Philip Hammond will say the military force at the Olympics will be boosted to some 17,000 troops with just two weeks to go.

It comes as security-providers G4S admitted it was experiencing "some issues in relation to workforce supply and scheduling" and had accepted that the Government was turning to the military for extra help.

The move, a major embarrassment for organisers Locog, comes as Mr Hammond appears before the Commons Defence Committee to explain how the Army is to lose 17 major units - including five infantry battalions - in the biggest re-structuring of the service for decades.

The changes - to be completed by the end of the decade - will see the regular Army cut from 102,000 to 82,000 while the Territorial Army will be doubled to 30,000 to give a combined force of 112,000.

Some 17,000 troops will now be involved in the Olympics, with 11,000 of these involved in the security of more than 30 sporting venues and some 70 non-competition venues, including car parks and hotels.

Military personnel will also be involved in specialist support roles including air security, search teams, communications and logistics, among others.

Mr Hammond will give further details to MPs today.

Assistant commissioner Chris Allison, head of Scotland Yard's security operation, has previously insisted the sporting event will be a "blue Games", despite the presence of the military and surface-to-air missiles being positioned near the Olympic Park.

Overall, a 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.

A G4S spokeswoman said: "This has been an unprecedented and very complex security recruitment, training and deployment exercise which has been carried out to a tight timescale.

"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."

She went on: "Our planning with Locog and other security agencies allows for a variety of contingencies which have been reviewed in the build-up to the Games.

"We accept that the Government has decided to overlay additional resources.

"We remain committed to keep London 2012 safe and secure."