Foreign police may help at Games

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Foreign police officers may need to be brought in to help police the 2012 London Olympics, a senior Scotland Yard officer has said.

Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur called for a public debate on its implications but said "we shouldn't shy away from it".

"International policing is one family concerned with the same thing," Mr Ghaffur said.

He is in charge of security preparations for the Games.

"We may have to change some constitutional positions - like bringing in foreign police officers, such as at the 2006 World Cup in Germany," Mr Ghaffur said in an interview with the Parliamentary Monitor magazine.

Security is one part of the Games, and the way we work to achieve it, with local communities helping, will be a showcase for London Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur

He said there was no reason why officers from one part of the world could not be "twinned" with officers from another part of the world, similar to how participants and spectators from across the world are matched with communities.

Mr Ghaffur said he was confident that Scotland Yard would be able to maintain security with "light touch" policing.

"Historically London has been successful at hosting major events," he said.

"Security is one part of the Games, and the way we work to achieve it, with local communities helping, will be a showcase for London.

"We will work out the scenarios and, with a light touch, I am confident we will host a secure games."