Dorset Police boss brands Games security an 'Olympic-sized monumental failure'

The chairman of the Dorset Police Federation has branded Olympic security as an "Olympic-sized monumental failure."

Some 3,500 troops had to be drafted in to man checkpoints after security firm G4S failed to meet staffing targets.

Now police officers will have to fill in the extra gaps at the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events in Weymouth and Portland, said Clive Chamberlain.

G4S said the situation would be "rectified over the coming days".

"Some venues are being supported by police in the short term, while the private security workforce is being mobilised," a spokesman said.

"This situation is being rectified over the coming days, which should lead to the withdrawal of police from those roles assigned to private security."

However Mr Chamberlain said he feared the company would start panic-recruiting untrained staff to cope with the shortfall.

He said: "Two weeks before the Games, we are going to have hundreds or thousands of people that are going to need to be properly vetted - that comes down to the police.

"What proper training will they have had before they start? It's very, very worrying."

Mr Chamberlain said he did not believe the safety of the Olympic Games had been compromised as the Army had so far covered the shortfall.

"By using troops I think potentially it's going to be safer," he said.

Simon Williams, head of 2012 operations at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said visitors would not be affected in terms of security.

He said the council were working with several security companies, all of which were "quite separate" from G4S.

"We do have the staff and we do have the resilience, and we are ready to go," he said.

Addressing the Commons, the home secretary denied allegations the government knew before Wednesday there would not be enough guards.

Mrs May said: "G4S only told the government that they would be unable to meet their contractual arrangements last Wednesday and we took immediate action."

She also denied G4S had "deliberately deceived" the government, and said the company's problem was "workforce supply and scheduling".