More British soldiers needed to secure London Games.

With files from The Associated Press


Less than two weeks beforethe London 2012 Olympicskick off, organizers have revealed only a fraction of the 14,000 guards needed to man the international event have been properly trained.

As a result, 3,500 British soldiers will step in to fill the security gap, bringing the total number of armed forced involved in the Games to 17,000.

The addition of the troops, some of whom have recently returned from tours in Afghanistan, brings the price for Olympic security to nearly half a billion dollars.

The firm that won the right to guard the Summer Games two years ago, G4S, must kick in $80 million for the added security.

In a statement released Friday by G4S, the company said it had encountered significant difficulties in processing applicants in sufficient numbers through the necessary training, vetting and accreditation procedures.

"We are grateful for the additional military support," the statement read. "We do not underestimate the impact on the military personnel and their families and express our appreciation to them."

G4S Chief Executive Nick Buckles will answer to British MPs during a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

London Olympics organizing chief Sebastian Coe said Friday despite the troops, combat jets and other military hardware that will grace the Games, it will still feel like the Olympics.

I don't think anyone will go feeling anything other than safe and secure and probably quite charmed by what they witness," he said.

The Associated Press reported that security problems began to emerge a few weeks ago when G4S failed to provide enough security guards when the Olympic Stadium and the aquatics centre underwent a lock down, which puts the tightest security measures in place.

Security has been a critical concern for the Olympics ever since 11 Israeli athletes and coaches died in a terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Games. British authorities have planned for a severe threat level for the London Games, meaning an attack is "highly likely."

The day after London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics in July, 2005, four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters using public transit. More than 700 people were injured in the attacks.

The Games are estimated to cost British taxpayers US$14.4 billion.