London 2012 Olympics security fear as fake bomb smuggled in

Shortly after an additional £271m was spent on security for the Olympic Games this summer, effectively doubling its initial projected £282m budget to £533m, fears have been raised about safety after a fake bomb was smuggled in to the Olympic Park.

UK police smuggled a bomb into the Olympic Park on Monday as part of a security test.

“Such tests play a key role in developing our capability to ensure that London 2012 is safe and secure and that we are best prepared to detect potential threats before and during the Games,” an statement from the Olympic Delivery Authority said.

The Games represent a high risk for terrorist attacks. In 2005, the day after it was announced that London had been awarded the games, the city was rocked by a terrorist attack on the underground which left 52 commuters dead.

The Game themselves, with its international competitors and, more importantly, global audience, have been the focus of attacks before such as the 1972 Munich games in which 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were killed.

The '200 days to go' milestone was reached on Monday, however the Games continue to hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.

The countdown clock in Trafalgar Square infamously stopped working shortly after being unveiled, the ticketing system continues to face criticism (a site for customers to re-sell their tickets was suspended earlier this week) and there is continued debate over the Games’ legacy and whether it is a valuable use of money in these troubled economic times.

Photo: Getty