Government security deal for pre-games training camp

Telegraph Sport revealed last month that the security budget for the Team GB training camp at Loughborough University had increased, with Leicestershire Police demanding close to £1 million to cover the additional responsibility of securing the site and 550 athletes who will pass through it. The British Olympic Association was surprised, having agreed a £750,000 contract with Loughborough for rental of the site, which included provision for security. This contract appears not to have taken account of a security review by Leicestershire Police last year which identified additional costs, including provision for vehicle searches at the entrance to the campus. Following negotiations between the Home Office and Leicestershire Constabulary, the additional bill has been reduced to around £500,000, but the money will come from the central budget contingency, increasing the strain on the £9.3 billion fund. Last year the Government was forced to find an additional £271 million to cover a doubling of the number of security guards required. By contrast this is a relatively small increase, but it confirms that as the Olympics draw near, unspent contingency - estimated to be £100 million by the end of the process - will be used to make difficult issues go away.