1Olympic ring of steel plan to thwart terrorists

Olympic ring of steel plan to thwart terrorists

By Michael MacLeod

A FENCE fortress is being put up around Britain’s Olympic site to keep out terrorists.

The 11-mile ring of steel will emit a 5,000 volt shock to anyone who tries to scale it.

The 2012 Games organisers say locals living near the East London construction site have nothing to worry about, insisting the fence could not cause lasting injuries.

As well as the 12ft fence, infa-red CCTV cameras are being installed at 25-yard intervals.

Before the huge fence arrived, the site’s security was made up of blue hoardings.

But with about 9,000 workers at peak periods over the next three years, the electric fence is considered crucial to preventing intruders.

And when the games begin, another ring of steel is expected be erected around the athletes’ village, while sniffer and attack dogs will patrol alongside mounted police.

Last week, the outgoing chief constable of British Transport Police, Sir Ian Johnston, was appointed head of security as the venues start to take shape and become a possible target.

Onsite crime is currently low and just eight Met officers are on the site.

They have only had to make a handful of arrests in the two years of construction, mainly for the theft of tools.

But the world was given a reminder of the terror threat in 2007, when a “realistic” anti-terror training exercise was held onsite.

This included mocked-up explosions and bomb casualties staged by balaclava-clad soldiers from the SAS and officers from the Met Police.

An Olympic Delivery Authority spokesman insisted the fence was a safe and effective deterrent.

He said: “The power topping is in line with typical cattle-fencing specifications.

“The voltage would not cause any lasting harm, either to humans or wildlife.

“Given the size of the site and high profile of the project it is also important to have a perimeter fence that is an effective deterrent while also being safe for people who live nearby.”

WordPress Cookie Plugin by Real Cookie Banner
Exit mobile version