Event's Olympic countdown: security

Background

Keeping the world's biggest event safe and secure is a huge challenge. To provide security guards, the government turned to private security firm G4S in 2010, signing a deal now worth £284m.

In January this year, G4S told Event it had received 34,000 applications for the 10,000 positions it was then expected to fill.

Stewarding contracts were awarded to seven different companies including G4S, AP Security, Event and Exhibition Partnership, and Sword Security. Together they will provide more than 5,000 stewards between them to Games venues.

More than 500,000 people who applied to work at the Games have undergone rigorous background checks from the Home Office, which examined the records of all event workers, official and athletes working at the games. In June, the Home Office told Event around 100 people had been rejected so far.

Latest news

G4S revealed on 11 July it would not be able to provide enough guards to fulfill its contract. Only 4,000 out of 13,700 were fully trained and ready to work on the Games.

When the news broke, 3,500 guards from the British Army were drafted in to cover the shortfall. An additional 1,200 troops that were put on standby last week have just been deployed to work on the Games as well.

G4S chief executive Nick Buckles appeared before the Home Affairs Select Committee to answer questions in its investigation. He said he was "deeply disappointed" by recent events and regretted taking the contract.

The investigation also revealed that Locog altered the contract with G4S in December 2011 to increase the number of guards G4S was asked to supply.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said G4S would be punished for failing to deliver, including possible cuts to its £57m management fee. Today the Cabinet Committee for Olympics said G4S staff numbers were rising significantly.

During the Games

Visitors to Olympic venues will have to pass through airport-style security checks, including walkthrough metal detectors and x-ray machines. There will also be a list of prohibited and restricted items similar to the one found in airport security banning liquids, sharp objects and flammables. Locog is working with airport security equipment specialist Rapiscan Systems to supply the kit.

Similar security measures will be in place for the London Live sites at Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square, which will offer free music gigs and sports activities organised by Live Nation.

After the Games

The legacy for event security industry will be determined by whether any security problems arise during the Games. G4S will hope to regain its credibility and recent news has prompted debate about whether private companies should be contracted by the government for large-scale events.

Read yesterday's Olympic countdown feature on the Olympic venues here.

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