The unnamed official added “community-led intelligence” would be key.
The games will be held during the Islamic holly month of Ramadan for the first time in 30 years. Ramadan is a month of fasting to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and submission to God.
This particular sacred time for the Islamic community could elevate security risks.
Security agencies have been carrying out exercises ahead of the Games in preparation of this sensitive time.
According to the BBC there has also been a rise of terror suspects arrested in east London.
A former Met Police commander who specialises in terrorism, Roy Ramm, told the BBC, “This has got to be an intelligence-led operation.”
“They’ve got to identify cells which will be plotting to do something.
“If they move too quickly, they can be accused of being oppressive and disruptive, particularly in the month of Ramadan. If they move too slowly then the risk to the public is enormous.”
Norman Benotman, a former extremist who knew Osama Bin Laden, told the BBC that terrorist could see this as a golden opportunity.
“Maybe it’s an opportunity for them to end up in heaven,” Benotman told the BBC.
“They believe death- or murdering someone- is a value itself, which is absolutely against all the teaching and concepts of Islam itself.
“Life is value, not death.”
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