And the Gold Medal for incompetence goes to......

[redken1]

The armed forces have been told to find an extra 3,500 personnel to protect the Olympic Games to cover a shortfall in recruitment by a private security firm just a fortnight before the games open.
The extra personnel, the equivalent of an infantry brigade, means that 20,000 servicemen and women will be on duty - that is a fifth of the Army. What a double whammy for the taxpayer – In addition to the £millions to pay for the extra soldiers it’s unlikely we will see a single penny of the £300 million fee the government has already paid G4S for covering the Olympic security.

It is a sight which many older generations thought they would never see in this country again.
Soldiers in residential tower blocks and green open spaces were installing surface-to-air missiles at six sites across the capital, a show of strength not seen in this country since the Second World War.
The biggest peacetime security operation the country has ever seen.

M6 'terror' swoop: £6m, 25 police cars, 13 fire engines, 4 ambulances, 2 army bomb disposal teams... due to one electronic cigarette.

In light of the aforesaid recent events, is there anyone apart from US & UK leaders who believe we can win the, “War on terror”?

Let's hope nowt kicks-off outside of the Capital. Volunteers?

[Mitch9128]

Millions for extra soldiers? Soldiers are already paid 365/7/24, where's the extra cost?

[redken1]

Millions for extra soldiers? Soldiers are already paid 365/7/24, where's the extra cost?



The soldiers can't be in two locations at the same time, therefore we are paying for 3500 troops to police the Olympics, whatever that cost is for 3 weeks. We have already paid once for the security to G4S. Whatever, it's still a major cock-up.

[Mitch9128]

Are you suggesting for a moment our gubbermint, won't reclaim this money from G4S?

[Dan505]

all G4 will say is they under priced themselves in the first place and all the cash is gone. i find the ROE ridiculous, if you spot anything suspicous raise your hand and shout POLICE three times! WTF?

if you want something stopped they should be armed with batons and allowed to climb all over any one who is a real and serious threat to the lives of others

trained soldiers babysitting plod is just wrong

[Col]

NURSE!!!!! ...oxygen quick ;D ;D

[Squashed_Fly]

The soldiers should go on strike unles they get the same extra payments that the bus and underground drivers are getting!

[Mitch9128]

But they can't, and neither should they receive them either. Soldiers know what's in store when they sign, and this is nothing new, they've been doing Wimbledon for ever, if you don't like it, change jobs.

[DaytonaDog]

all G4 will say is they under priced themselves in the first place and all the cash is gone. i find the ROE ridiculous, if you spot anything suspicous raise your hand and shout POLICE three times! WTF?

if you want something stopped they should be armed with batons and allowed to climb all over any one who is a real and serious threat to the lives of others

trained soldiers babysitting plod is just wrong

The soldiers are not babysitting plod. They are being drafted in to make up the shortfall of security personal that was supposed to be supplied for the games by G4S.

[Dan505]

all G4 will say is they under priced themselves in the first place and all the cash is gone. i find the ROE ridiculous, if you spot anything suspicous raise your hand and shout POLICE three times! WTF?

if you want something stopped they should be armed with batons and allowed to climb all over any one who is a real and serious threat to the lives of others

trained soldiers babysitting plod is just wrong

The soldiers are not babysitting plod. They are being drafted in to make up the shortfall of security personal that was supposed to be supplied for the games by G4S.

sorry DD, i didn't me plod as in police (late night is my excuse ::) ) i understand why they are there but don't agree with it.

Col, Oxygen????? eh? :-?

[DaytonaDog]

all G4 will say is they under priced themselves in the first place and all the cash is gone. i find the ROE ridiculous, if you spot anything suspicous raise your hand and shout POLICE three times! WTF?

if you want something stopped they should be armed with batons and allowed to climb all over any one who is a real and serious threat to the lives of others

trained soldiers babysitting plod is just wrong

The soldiers are not babysitting plod. They are being drafted in to make up the shortfall of security personal that was supposed to be supplied for the games by G4S.

sorry DD, i didn't me plod as in police (late night is my excuse ::) ) i understand why they are there but don't agree with it.

Col, Oxygen????? eh? :-?

No worries Dan. I don't agree with it either but am not at all surprised at the outcome. Tis what happens when profit/shareholders are the first priority

[Dan505]

yep the short sightedness of others looking for a slice of huge cash being thrown around without caring about who has to fill the shortfall

[DaytonaDog]

The soldiers should go on strike unles they get the same extra payments that the bus and underground drivers are getting!

For once SF, I agree with you, it just a shame the military don't have that option, the same for plod. I am working the games in London, as are a number of colleagues, both in London and Weymouth. We have had a blanket ban on annual leave over the olympic period, which is totally understandable and necessary and has been accepted by everybody, so its somewhat galling and annoying when bus drivers and tube drivers are getting bonuses for not going on strike, when most of them would have been working anyway, as they can't all go on leave. >:( >:( >:(

[Swanny]

We need all the security we can get to protect us from the made up threat of terrorism

[redken1]

And the winner is.........Theresa Mary May :-*

Sorry Chris, I know she is the first person on your Christmas card list. ;) :P ;D


Ps; wasn’t G4S the first private security firm responsible for transferring prisoners and a few were lost along the way?

We haven’t seen anything yet now that the government has opened the NHS floodgates to the greedy profiteers. >:(


I say fair play to the transport workers in London - they maximised their bargaining power, stood united and defeated the government. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
What's good for the banksters is good enough for the rest of us - after all, "We are all in this together." :P

[Swanny]

Undercover Reporter Infiltrates Security Firm to Expose London Olympics


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si7DEkeWsOs

[Beamer]

The soldiers should go on strike unles they get the same extra payments that the bus and underground drivers are getting!

For once SF, I agree with you, it just a shame the military don't have that option, the same for plod. I am working the games in London, as are a number of colleagues, both in London and Weymouth. We have had a blanket ban on annual leave over the olympic period, which is totally understandable and necessary and has been accepted by everybody, so its somewhat galling and annoying when bus drivers and tube drivers are getting bonuses for not going on strike, when most of them would have been working anyway, as they can't all go on leave. >:( >:( >:(



And the worst bit is....the average bus drivers (for a certain bus company) were not chosen to cover the games.....the shifts have mostly been covered by middle management, who havent driven a bus for yonks, and the 'normal' drivers didnt even get a look in (and no this isnt sour grapes as our 'favourite' bus driver wasnt eligible to go anyway)..... it just smacks of greedy money grabbing!!

All totally wrong in my eyes :-/

[redken1]

Says it all really