A new Assistant Commissioner is to be appointed by Scotland Yard with responsibility for the massive security operation that will surround the London 2012 Olympics.

Sir Ian Blair, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said: "There can be no doubt the 2012 games, if the current threat scenario stays the same, will be a huge target and we have to understand that and work on that basis." The scale of the operation is vast: 200,000 people working at venues will require vetting to check if they are a security risk or working illegally in the UK.

The event could be targeted by environmental groups and large-scale organised crime, including counterfeiting of Olympic goods and prostitution rings involving human trafficking.

Officers are being consulted on the design of the Olympic village so security elements can be "built in" from the outset.

From: Met assistant to handle Olympic security threat, Andrew Culf and Rosie Cowan, October 20, 2006, Guardian

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