Cloud Cuckoo Land

The BBC reports that Olympics organisers are attempting to achieve world peace (during the fortnight of the London Olympics).

"Ministers are to consult on how the 2012 Olympics can be used as a catalyst to promote international peace.

They want to see how the ancient concept of an "Olympic truce", where signatories refrained from conflict during the Games, can be applied now.

Lord Mawhinney suggested there should be a direct link between peaceful conduct and taking part in the Games."

Fat chance!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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French Farce

For some bizarre reason our lords and masters have agreed that the 2012 Olympics will be conducted in French, with English being deemed as the "second language".

It seems that French is the "mother tongue" of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), given that the Greeks invented the games shouldn't Greek be the language of choice?

Anyhoo, be that as it may, French takes precedence at medal giving and all other Olympic ceremonies. "Billboards and pageantry" must also be in French as well as English.

In order to ensure that the host country is completely humiliated, the IOC also demands that 40,000 (yes, 40,000!) hotel rooms be made available for IOC members and assorted hangers on.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Milking The Olympic Cow

The Telegraph reports that those who own property within a reasonable distance of the London Olympics could be sitting on a gold mine.

Allegedly, if estate agents etc are to be believed, two bedroom properties within half an hour of London Olympic venues could bring in over £3K a week and five bedroom houses nearly £10K a week at the time of the Olympic Games.

Why would people be stupid enough to pay so much for something that they could watch far more comfortably from their own homes?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Jolly Junket

It seems that London's 5 star hotels, such as the Dorchester, will be overwhelmed with booking requests from the "great, the good and the hangers on" of the Olympics during the Olympics 2012.

Locog has received more applications for accommodation from "bigwigs" in the Olympics movement, FIFA and embassies than there are rooms available.

Maybe some will have to "slum it" in 4 and 3 star hotels then?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Boris Nixes Blatter

I was highly amused to read that Boris Johnson has withdrawn the offer of a free stay in the Dorchester hotel for Sepp Blatter, and assorted cronies from FIFA, for the 2012 Olympics.

A money saving exercise, or retribution for the FIFA vote?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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10,000 Target Unattainable

The Press Association report that the target of 10,000 special constables (volunteers) for the London 2012 Olympics is unattainable.

The target has been now been lowered to 6,667.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Highly Likely, or Critical?

There is a "cheerful" debate going on between MI5 and the Metropolitan Police as to whether a terrorist attack during the London 2012 Olympics is "highly likely" (MI5's view) or "critical" (the Met's view).

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Tube Misery Up Until The Olympics...At Least

The Press Association reports that London Underground services will be disrupted every weekend until just before the Olympics in 2012.

Pathetic!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Ticket Plans Nixed

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), despite allowing the governing bodies of the 26 Olympic sports in Britain to buy tickets for the London Games ahead of the tickets going on general sale next year, has forbidden the governing bodies from making any of their tickets available to the public.

LOCOG only want those tickets to be used exclusively for the people who run their sport, or for the governing bodies' sponsors.

For why?

LOCOG want exclusive control over the public's ticket sales market, in order to maximise their revenue from sponsorship and in order to maximise the prices that it can charge.

This means that plans by sports' governing bodies to raise money (eg via competitions to win tickets) and to reward volunteers have been nixed.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Spurs Bid "Completely Unacceptable"

The Chairman of UK Athletics (UKA), Ed Warner, has lashed out at Tottenham Hotspur's bid for the Olympic Stadium post London Olympics 2012.

Spurs with their bidding partner, AEG, have been named as one of the preferred bidders. However, if they win, they plan to remove the athletics track and turn the stadium into a mecca for the "god of football".

All very well, maybe. However, when the London Olympics organisers bid for the games in 2005 they made a "promise" (how these things tend to be "forgotten" with the passage of time) to leave a legacy of an athletics track.

Ed Warner hasn't forgotten that promise, and has told the BBC:

"It is [essential] for Tottenham and AEG to go back to the original promise made in 2005.

That was about UK Athletics being at the heart of the Olympic Park...

Anything they might propose for an athletics legacy has to be a compromise to the stadium continuing to operate at a world-class level. To my mind that is completely unacceptable."

The question is will money override fairweather promises?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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We're Not Backing Britain

I noted in March and May of this year that London Olympics pin badges are being manufactured in China, along with the "lovable" London mascots and even their promotional video.

Sky News has done some more digging and found that of the 446 items for sale on the official London 2012 website, 67% are made in China and 18% in Turkey, while only 8% bear the hallmark "Made in the UK".

A kick in the teeth for what remains of British manufacturing.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Costs Rise By £53M

The ever flexible London Olympics "budget" (currently standing at around £12BN - including £2BN running costs) has hit the headlines again.

The estimated costs of the Olympics have risen by £53M. The costs rises are projected in the following areas:

- the aquatics centre,
- the compulsory purchase of land
- and performance-related payments to CLM, the project management team.

Fortunately the "budget" is a highly flexible beast, and the Olympics organisers have assured everyone that savings can be found to offset this £53M.

I shall believe that when I see it!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Legacy Matters

Charlie Wijeratna, London 2012's director of commercial negotiations, is leaving to join Tottenham Hotspur in December as Executive Director with commercial responsibilities.

Ironically Spurs are one of the bidders for the £550M Olympic Stadium. In the event that they win the bid, they intend to scrap the running track after London 2012 (a legacy running track had been one of the pledges made by the Olympics bid team).

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Tourism Slump Expected

Despite the hype over the benefits of London hosting the Olympics in 2012, the professionals in the tourism industry are not convinced.

The European Tour Operators' Association (Etoa) has published a survey of inbound buyers' forecasts.

Etoa report that 68% of the 200 buyers surveyed expect an average 30% drop in visitors to London in 2012, compared with 2011.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Tube Strike

London's "world class" tube system is on strike today (the third in a series of strikes staged by the RMT).

The network is trying, in between strikes, to upgrade some parts of its service in time for the 2012 Olympics.

As to whether these upgrades will be completed on schedule, and to cost, I cannot say. However, I guarantee that Bob Crow and his "comrades" in the RMT will use the threatened disruption of service during the Olympics as a "bargaining" tool in thier ongoing dispute.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Party At Marble Arch

The Russians have applied for permission to hire Marble Arch during the London 2012 Olympics, and turn it into a party venue.

"Russia House" will, if permission is granted by Westminster council, consist of a temporary multi-storey canopy around the arch together with the requisitioning of some of the surrounding parkland.

It sounds like a fun idea.

Good luck to them!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Britain Nixes Aircraft Carrier

Britain has said "thanks, but no thanks" to an offer by the USA to station a US aircraft carrier in the Thames Estuary during the 2012 London Olympics to boost security.

The UK will instead station an anti aircraft destroyer in a suitable place, just in case any aircraft need to be shot down.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Pathetic!

I see that the IOC are considering sacrificing the traditional Olympics opening and closing ceremony fireworks displays on the altar of "environmentalism".

Maybe, if the IOC were that concerned about the environment, they should consider abandoning the games altogether given the energy used, resources wasted, air pollution etc to host, attend and compete in the games?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Airfares Capped

When London made its bid to host the 2012 Olympics, within its long list of promises was one to pay the airfares of all athletes, officials and assorted hangers on. At the time, the cost of this largess was estimated to be around £20M.

However, time moves on, as we all know we are now in a recession and the Olympics "budget" at the time of the bid was based on fantasy anyway.

The London Olympics organisers are now proposing to cap the airfares promise, and base payments on distance travelled (rather than actual cost incurred).

Needless to say national Olympic committees around the world, who had expected a freebie are now complaining loudly that they might have to stump up some of the cost for attending the games. For good measure, they are also complaining that they are having to pay for furniture and equipment for their temporary offices during the games.

Here are two thoughts on the matter:

1 Why the hell should we pay for others to fly here?

2 Attending the games, as far as I am aware, is not compulsory. Those countries that don't want to spend the money don't have to attend.

Problem solved!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Price Promise Breached

The ticket prices for the London 2012 Olympics were published last Friday. Without any "irony" the highest price ticket is in fact £2,012 (for the opening ceremony on July 27 2012).

Notwithstanding that, the organisers claim that they have honoured promises to sell tickets at affordable prices (approximately 33% will be available at £20 or less).

However, their original estimate from the organisers was that approximately 50% of the tickets would be priced at £20 or less.

Tickets for the closing ceremony will cost up to £1,500. Athletics finals up to £725, and the finals of swimming, diving, gymnastics and beach volleyball will cost up to £450.

Unsurprisingly most of these will be sold off in blocks to corporate hospitality providers.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Toilet Matters

There seems to be a degree of confusion in the media over reports that, because there will be a shortage of portaloos in 2012 (all loos are being requisitioned for the London Olympics), Glastonbury 2012 will be cancelled.

However, Michael Eavis (the organiser of Glastonbury) has denied reports that the cancellation is due to the portaloo shortage. He stated that the cancellation is in fact due to the shortage of police, as they will be tied up by covering the the London Olympics.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Legacy Matters

It seems that members of the London Assembly are, quite rightly, a tad cynical about the promises made concerning the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics.

John Biggs, chair of the assembly's budget and performance committee, is quoted by Publicpropertyuk.com:

"A huge amount of money has gone into creating the Olympic Park and this investment must result in an economic benefit for east London and the capital as a whole.

Everyone thinks responsibility for the legacy is cut and dried, but our investigation suggests there are still many unanswered questions which need to be addressed if London is to get the kind of legacy that was promised."





Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Ofcom Kiboshes Olympics Radio

Ofcom have put the kibosh on plans for a DAB Olympics radio station (planned to broadcast only during the 2012 Olympics).

The reason being that it received only 10 preliminary expressions of interest.

Given that Ofcom refused to release AM and FM frequencies for broadcast this lack of interest is hardly surprising, DAB simply is far to niche to be of interest and commercially viable for such a short term project.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Legacy Matters

Tottenham Hotspurs' recent bid to move into the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 games has one rather significant problem, it does not include any provision for an athletics track.

Spurs do not want a track, because it will detract from having a "perfect" football stadium.

All very well, maybe. However, London 2012 won its Olympic bid on the basis of a promise to the International Olympic Committee that part of the legacy of the games would be an athletics track capable of staging major events.

Who will blink first?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Traversty

Councillor Helal Abbas, Leader of Tower Hamlets Council, has told BBC London that the new route for the London Olympics marathon was a travesty.

He said Tower Hamlets had originally been promised three events would take place there, and now none will happen in the borough.

Mr Abbas added that Tower Hamlets was getting all of the disruption but none of the benefits of the games.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Marathon Row Continues

Locog is refusing to apologise for the decision taken by them to move the marathon route for the London 2012 Olympics from the East End.

The Evening Standard have a copy of leaked letter sent by Locog to Tower Hamlets council explaining the reasons for the decision to move the route. Seemingly a major issue being the VIP Olympic traffic lanes.

Maybe so, but wouldn't Locog have considered the VIP traffic lanes at the time they were planning the original marathon route?

This row will continue.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Oh Ye Of Little Faith!

A survey of the UK's customer service managers, carried out by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS), has revealed that 32% of those surveyed believe that essential public services (eg transport facilities, policing and healthcare provision) will fall short at the 2012 Olympics as a result of the extra demand placed upon them.

Given that public services are, even at their best, "stretched" and that the public sector is facing massive cuts there is every reason to believe that the public services will fail.

The government, of course, says that they won't fail.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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ODA CEO Quits

David Higgins, CEO of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), has quit in order to join Network Rail.

He will leave in February 2011, and will be replaced by the ODA's current finance director Dennis Hone.

Last year Higgins was awarded a bonus of £200K (a large part of which he deferred), on top of his £384K salary.

Is this really the best time for him to leave?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Lazy and Selfish

Giles Barrie of Property Week believes that the Olympics bureaucrats are selfish and lazy wrt their plans for "Olympics only" traffic lanes during the 2012 games.

"An 'Olympic Route Network' is being set up throughout the Games to ferry these hangers on from their Mayfair hotels to the games at Stratford in the east.

This means lanes being closed throughout central London as 'VIPs' are whisked through, with Lower Thames Street the most important thoroughfare involved.

Only two of its four lanes will be open, and security restrictions will mean further misery for the people who work there.

There are 15,000 people working in blocks between the river and Lower Thames Street, many of whom couldn't give two hoots about the games.

The organisers' argument is that these officials need to be able to get to Stratford in 23 minutes, but that totally misses the point.

If they need to get from the West End to Stratford quickly, there is a perfectly quick and efficient way.

It's called the Jubilee Line."

Well said sir!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Shambles That is The Commonwealth Games

One thing is for sure, no matter what I may think of the "value added" or quality of "budgetary control" of the London Olympics, the Olympics are not going to turn into the shambles tha the forthcoming Commonwealth Games has become.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Locog Snubs East End

The London 2012 Olympics organisers (Locog) have managed to ruffle some feathers again, this time they have upset Newham council over plans to change the marathon route.

Locog want to move the finish of the marathon from the stadium in Stratford, East London, to the Mall.

Seemingly Locog want to create the "best experience for spectators and athletics and to profile London".

All very well, but the games were sold to world, and to the people of the East End, on the basis of regeneration and leaving a legacy in the area in which they are being staged (ie Stratford).

By snubbing the area which is having to put up with the disruption of the preparation for the games, and indeed the disruption that the games themselves will cause, Locog are at the very least being insensitive to the residents of Stratford and the East End.

Paul Brickell, Newham Council's executive member for Olympics, is quoted by the BBC:

"The route comes out from Aldgate, through Whitechapel and Stepney and Bow to Stratford and that is a fantastic street with 1,000 years of history.

The stories about that street are incredible and I reckon any marathon commentator could make it really interesting for a world audience.

This is a golden opportunity for those residents to be part of the greatest show on earth for free, on their doorsteps.

If these plans go ahead there will be a lot of disappointed residents in east London."

Tourists, Olympic visitors etc should be given a different perspective of London, other than the standard image portrayed on postcards etc of the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace etc.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Legacy

The London Assembly is not very pleased with the legacy plans of the Olympics Board for the Olympics stadium.

The Telegraph reports that the plans to transform the stadium from its 80,000 capacity at Games time, to a 25,000 seat athletics arena were "flawed" and have contributed to delays in securing a lasting legacy.

Len Duvall, Chairman of the economic development, culture, sport and tourism committee is quoted:

"An elite 25,000-seat athletics stadium is not, and was never going to be, in the long-term interests of the East End or of the taxpayer."

Mr Duvall is correct. However, he misses the essential truth, the London Olympics have never been planned or "budgeted" with the interests of the East End or taxpayer in mind.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Greed Rears Its Head

Bloomberg reports that the 2012 Olympic Games in London are 'distorting' the market for hotel rooms in London.

Tom Jenkins, executive director of the European Tour Operators Association said:

"My members move about 20,000 bed nights in London every night in August.

At the moment, we can't book those bed nights for 2012. That's business that's gone. Once you scare that business away, it’s very difficult to reestablish that pattern."

Unsurprisingly, the London hotel industry cannot resist trying to stick its head as deeply as possible into the Olympics trough.

Doubtless racking up the rates, in the short term, may well provide the hotels with some extra income. However, in the long term the damage done to the hotel industry ("rip off merchants" being the operative phrase) and London's reputation as a tourist destination will be hard to repair.

Naked greed does nothing to help the reputation of the games, the hotel industry or London.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Locog Offers/Withdraws Job To Drugs Cheat

The Telegraph reports that Locog have had to withdraw a job offer made to Sevdalin Marinov.

He had been offered the role of technical operations manager for London 2012, for the sport of weightlifting. However, he had been tested positive for steroids in 1994 and had been given a life ban - subsequently overturned - when a flatmate was convicted of importing banned drugs in 2003.

Locog's senior management became aware of the offer, and intervened to withdraw it.

Oops!

How odd that they hadn't realised this before?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Irony

The Telegraph reports that despite, or rather because of, the 2012 Olympics there will in fact be a fall in the number of tourists visiting the UK during 2012.

One reason for the decline being the "rip off" prices charged by hotels and other tourist venues during the games.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Beware Betting Scams

As noted many times on this site, the Olympics is more about money rather than sport.

The IOC is concerned that the London Olympics 2012 will be subjected to betting scams/corruption/fixing and, as such, will be monitoring betting patterns.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Olympic Joke

The Associated Press reports that the BBC is to parody preparations for the London 2012 Olympics in a new comedy series.

"Twenty Twelve" has been shot in the style of mockumentary series "The Office".

The BBC says the six-part series will deal with "such hot topics as how to phase the traffic lights across London to get people from west to east."

Writers have also tried to make light of the process of selling a taekwondo hall after the Olympics, the search for someone to run the Cultural Olympiad and how wind turbines will operate in the absence of wind.

The series will air on BBC 4. Broadcast dates haven't been announced.

The real life preparations have been comical enough (not least the farce over the "budget"), the BBC don't need writers it is writing itself.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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£3K For a Ticket!

The Telegraph reports that Locog are debating ticket prices for the London Olympics 2012.

It seems that some in Locog want to abandon the "cheap ticket promise", and charge up to £3K for tickets for the opening ceremony.

Now, for those of us who live in the real world, £3K is clearly an absurdly high price and would undermine any public support that there may be for these games.

However, Locog do not live in the real world and have spent money on hiring consultants to add their "insights" to the ongoing price debate. The consultants have advised that £1K is the tipping point for pricing tickets.

As to whether Locog will heed the advice, or indeed realise that spending money on consultants to tell them the "bleedin' obvious" point that £3K is an absurd price, is anyone's guess!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Utter Bollocks!

The taxpayer funded national tourism agency VisitBritain has come up with advice, in the from of a guide, on how to interact with those travelling to the UK in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

Included in this nonsense are helpful gems, such as, not mentioning to Mexicans their nation's 1840s' war with the US.

What utter bollocks, and what a spectacular waste of money!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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The Olympics Storage Area

London Olympics organisers have upset residents near Drapers Field in Waltham Forest, with their plans to build an Olympics storage facility for athletes' equipment on the field which is (ironically) currently used by 9,000 people a month for sport and other leisure activities.

Although the field would return to public use after the games, locals are of the view that the plans are contrary to the Olympics ethos about encouraging people to take up sport.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Food Matters

Whilst the ODA may think that it has a great plan for ferrying athletes, IOC officials, the media and assorted Olympics hangers on to and from the 2012 London Olympics (via specially designated Olympics routes) it may have forgotten the needs of the ordinary people of London.

How, for instance, is fresh food going to be transported around the capital if some of the key routes are blocked for use by Olympics officials et al?

Natalie Chapman, of the Freight Transport Association (FTA), is quoted in the Telegraph:

"It will be a huge challenge.

Difficult is the understatement of the century. It will be pretty hellish, especially as we are expecting an upsurge in business and will have to make even more deliveries with less time available to us.

With non-perishable goods it would be sensible to stockpile. But with high-value goods and the problems of cash flow, that is not always easy. Restaurants may have to work rather longer hours to receive their food."

No doubt a plan will be put in place, but at what cost?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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We're Backing China

It is "refreshing" to see that the IOC are still helping support the Chinese Olympics, even though they ended in 2008.

The IOC has announced the allocation of accredited positions to journalists for the 2012 London Olympics. Out of the 5,600 possible positions British journalists have been allocated a paltry 500, whereas Chinese journalists have been allocated 200.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Ker Farking Ching!

It is nice to see that those in charge of the London Olympics 2012 have come up with a novel, and amusing, way to make money out of the games.

They will fine anyone not authorised to use the designated Olympics roads during the games £200.

The designated roads cover approximately 2.5% of London's road network, and cross through some of the most congested areas of London.

The concept of these designated roads is to allow athletes, International Olympic Committee members, Olympic sponsors, the media and other junket hangers on not to endure what the average Londoner endures every day when trying to get to work.

All right for some, isn't it?

Ker Farking Ching!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Banquo's Ghost

The BBC, with a degree of partisan delight, report that Former Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell has been offered a place on the Olympic board running the Games.

I don't recall her as being particularly good when she was Olympics Minister, or am I biased?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Pissing In The Wind

The Olympics minister, Hugh Robertson, has engaged in the futile activity of pissing in the wind by urging the executives of the Olympic Delivery Authority to exercise some restraint wrt their pay and bonus packages.

It was revealed this month, for example, that ODA chief executive David Higgins is Britain's highest paid quango chief, on £384K last year. In fact, 9 ODA executives earn more than the Prime Minister's annual salary of £142,500.

Mr Robertson has suggested that ODA executives could make a gesture of deferring their bonuses until after the Games in 2012.

Fat chance!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Revenues Up?

It seems that, according to the Telegraph, as a result of the number of people pre-registering their interest in buying tickets for the London 2012 Olympics, accountants have upped their best estimate of revenue.

Seemingly they expect revenues to exceed £2.15BN, an increase of approximately £200M.

All very nice, maybe.

However, as the ticket prices have yet to be announced, how can they be so sure that these pre-registrants will actually follow through and buy their tickets?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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"Modest"

Figures recently released by the Government show that the nine senior executives at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are paid more than David Cameron's annual salary of £142,500.

However, Sir Craig Reedie, the architect of London's bid to host the Games and now a member of the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board, has told insidethegames:

"I think the professionalism that has been shown by the people at the top ODA is outstanding and in world competitive terms, the remuneration is modest."

So that's alright then!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Pie In The Sky

I see that a proposal for cable cars crossing the Thames, that has been knocking around since the 1990's, has been dusted off again using the London 2012 Olympics as the catalyst.

Transport for London (TfL) have it in mind to use cable cars to transport 2,500 people per hour between the Greenwich peninsula and the Royal Docks.

TfL believe that the £25m cost can be covered by the private sector.

Call me cynical, but I guarantee that this gets nowhere.

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U Turn On Cheap Tickets

The Telegraph reports that London Olympics organisers are backtracking on a promise, made during the bidding phase, to provide large numbers of cheap tickets for the 2012 games.

Seemingly the finances are now so tight that Locog needs to raise an extra £441M from ticket sales.

The ticket policy and prices will be presented this week, for approval to the International Olympic Committee.

Ker farking ching!

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Money Matters

The Guardian reported last week that David Higgins, the chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority, earns between £390,000 and £394,999 a year. One of the 15 people working on the games who are paid more than David Cameron's £142,500.

Howard Shiplee, the director of construction, receives between £285,000 and £289,999. Godric Smith, its head of communications, gets nearly £200,000. In 2008, Higgins also received a £205,000 bonus.

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Legacy Action Plan Delayed

Regeneration and Renewal reports that the publication of the Olympic legacy action plan, setting out how a goal to narrow the gap between east London and the rest of the capital on seven measures by 2030 will be met, has been delayed.

Seemingly "the current financial climate" is the excuse for the delay.

I wonder how often that will be used as an excuse for other delays, in the run up to the 2012 games?

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Boris Urges Commonsense

It is refreshing to see at least one politician displaying some commonsense, wrt the London 2012 Olympics.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has called for the marathon and triathlon events to be held at the weekend, in order to minimise the disruption to the transport network.

At last, a politician has the guts to admit (albeit indirectly) that London's transport network is shite and that the slightest extra pressure on it will cause meltdown.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) are not happy with Boris's proposals, and want the events held during the week.

Evidently the IOC is used to travelling first class away from the "hoi polloi" and has never had to endure the tube, train or bus system in London during rush hour.

Can someone tell me why we want these games in London?

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Restrictions on Ticket Purchases

As noted a while ago on this site, Visa credit/debit cards have a sponsorship deal for the London 2012 Olympics which ensures that fans who want to buy tickets by card for the games can only do so if they use Visa.

Additionally, Visa credit and debit cards will be the only ones accepted at shops or cash machines at Olympic venues.

Unsurprisingly, some people are of the view that this is an unfair restriction. The Office of Fair Trading is now looking into the matter and is quoted by the BBC:

"The OFT and the European Commission are aware of these issues and are currently in discussion about what action, if any, should be taken."

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The Oilympics

Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Olympics, has defended BP's sponsorship of the games and stated to the BBC that the oil spill in the Gulf "does not make a difference to us at all".

BP is a top tier sponsor of the 2012 Games.

London and Florida will both have their own legacies to look forward to.

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Epic and Intimate

Danny Boyle, artistic director of the London Olympics July 27 2012 opening ceremony, has told the Telegraph that it will be "epic and intimate".

However, he has also stated that he does not intend to try to compete with Beijing's 2008 ceremony which cost £70M.

The event will highlight Britain's "idiosyncrasies".

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Slumdog Olympics

Slumdog Millionaire director, Danny Boyle, will be the artistic director for the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, organisers have announced.

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Party Poopers

Chris Allison, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, has warned that last minute events in 2012 to celebrate the Olympics could be "dangerous".

Mr Allison is heading the Met's 2012 security planning and preparations, and told the London Assembly's Health and Public Services Committee last week:

"People have got to understand that 2012 will be a very different year.

This is why it is important for the Greater London Authority to get people to sign up to say they are not going to do something last-minute because that could be dangerous.

They (event organisers) need to see that there will be a challenge for us in 2012 and to self-regulate."

I can't see this working at all.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Failed

In April I noted that the lofty plans by the ODA to use the canal system to supply raw materials for the Olympics site were unsustainable.

"..the financial downturn has scuppered the plans to carry out the necessary dredging work. Therefore the tide is only high enough to carry barges for a few hours each day..."

Today The Times reports that the plans have "failed".

By the way, it cost us £20M.

How many more Olympic promises will fail?

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Pathetic!

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics (currently budgeted to cost us £12BN - including £2BN running costs) had promised to create a "skills legacy".

So, with two years to go, how is this "skills legacy" doing?

The Evening Standard reports that the London Olympics has created only nine qualified tradesmen and women to date.

Pathetic!

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Piss and Wind

As with all plans of mice, men and the ODA things do rather tend to fall apart when confronted with reality.

Such fate befell the grandiose plans of the ODA to construct a 120M wind turbine at the North end of the Olympic park, which was meant to supply 20% of the Olympic park's energy during the games.

David Higgins, CEO of the Olympic Delivery Authority, confessed to defeat the other day stating that the scheme was "no longer feasible".

Seemingly new health and safety measures had meant the original design was no longer viable, and the preferred bidder had pulled out.

No other contractors had come forward.

Another Olympic dream bites the dust!

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Money Well Spent

Despite the Olympics "budget" running out of control (currently standing at £12BN including £2BN running costs), the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has paid Pringle Brandon £5K per annum (for the last 4years) for advice on how to divide up open-plan workspaces, and where it would be best to put desks.

Great!

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Anti Doping Line Opened

The UK will launch of a confidential 24-hour hotline that will encourage anonymous callers (athletes, coaches, support staff, parents and friends etc) to provide tip-offs about those they think might be cheats, or supply and traffic in performance-enhancing substances during the Olympics.

All very well, maybe.

However, I guarantee that this will be abused.

What better way to put an athlete off his/her game by having them investigated for drugs the day before an event?

Who would want to do that?

Fellow competitors, bloody minded individuals, people with money bet on the event.

The list is endless.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Countries Tout Tickets

In a rather amusing development, the IOC has all but accused four (albeit unnamed) countries of touting tickets for the recent Vancouver Winter games.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) receive a quota of tickets that they can sell to the public in their home country. However, some NOCs have been in the habit of passing the tickets on to touts for profit.

Gilbert Felli, an IOC director, has stated that four countries would be punished (they will receive a reduced ticket allocation for the London games) for the way in which the sales of their Vancouver allocation were handled.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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A Poor Investment

The Telegraph quotes Professor Mike Weed, of Canterbury Christ Church University, as saying that the London Olympics "is a poor investment made by the treasury on our behalf".

As a study, published in the British Medical Journal, reveals that there is precious little benefit in terms of a health or financial legacy from hosting the Olympics.

No surprises there then!

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Costs Rise

Despite promises of a £27M cut in the £12BN (including £2BN running costs) Olympics "budget", USA Today reports that costs for the London 2012 games have in fact risen:

"In its latest quarterly report on the Olympic budget, the government cites a $7.2 million (approx £4.5M) increase in the projected cost. The potential increase is forecast in transportation and infrastructure."

Budgetary control does not seem to be the Olympics organisers strongest point.

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Stratford "International"

The Guardian reports that hopes that the new Stratford International station will run international trains during the London 2012 Olympics have been dashed.

"According to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, train operator Eurostar has told the Government it will not run services from the station during the games.

While other international train operators are in talks to use Stratford, this will not be until after 2012."

Quite what the point will be of international visitors stopping at Stratford after the games will be rather eludes me.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Appalling Design

Sir Terence Conran, a man with "some expertise" when it comes to design, has weighed into the furore over the London Olympics mascots (one of who resembles Sonic The Hedgehog wielding a knife).

His verdict?

In a letter to The Times he said:

"Appalling...symbols of national mediocrity".

Her then went on to compare them to that other "design triumph", the Millennium Dome exhibition.

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We're Backing China III

The good news is that not only are those "lovable" London 2012 Olympics mascots (one of them carries a knife and resembles Sonic the Hedgehog) being manufactured in China, but also the promo video that is being used to introduce them to the public.

Why are we so resolutely backing Chinese industry at the expense of our own?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Sonic The Hedgehog

I wonder if the creators of Sonic The Hedgehog realise that one of London's new Olympic mascots, the one carrying the knife (how symbolic of this country's youth!), bears more than a passing resemblence to Sonic?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Drips Off The Old Block

The London Olympics mascots, Wenlock and Mandeville (named after two English towns), were unveiled yesterday.

True to form, in keeping with these games, they represent nothing on earth.

The only element that could be claimed to be symbolic of Britain is the single "camera lens" eye that each creature has, representing the excessive level of surveillance that the people of Britain are subjected to by the government and other bodies.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Mascot To Be Unveiled

Hold onto your hats, at 7PM (BST) tonight, the London 2012 Olympics mascot will be unveiled.

The "buzz" from the London Olympics bunker is that the mascot will be "adventurous", and won't be an animal.

Lord Coe has semi spilt the beans, he has been telling the USA media that the mascots are a child friendly creation formed from a drop of steel from the Olympic Stadium.

Seemingly the mascots are based on a story by children's author Michael Morpurgo, and are aimed aimed particularly at children.

Why would that be?

Well, the games are all about money and the mascots will be sold. Child "I want one" power is an effective marketing tool.

I wonder if it will receive the same "warm" welcome that the "Lisa Simpson Gives Head" logo received?

I'll hazard a guess that it's a couple of marbles.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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When Is A Budget Cut Not A Budget Cut?

Answer: When it is an Olympics "budget" cut.

Yesterday I noted that Jeremy Hunt, the minister responsible for the Olympics, had told Newsnight that his department faced a £66M cut and that the Olympics was "not protected".

In the real world, this would mean that cuts would have to be made in the actual amount of money spent on the London 2012 Olympics.

However, in the fantasy world of the Olympics "budget" this may not be the case. It seems that instead of the the cuts actually being made, the amount cut from the government contribution may in fact simply be added to the council tax bills of London residents.

Neat accounting trick isn't it?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Budget Not Sacrosanct

Jeremy Hunt replaces Tessa Jowell as Secretary of State in the re-named Department of Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.

As such Hunt now holds the poisoned chalice of the London 2012 Olympics.

He told the BBC's Newsnight that the department is going to make immediate cuts in spending of around £60M.

"Olympic money is not protected, none of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's budgets are protected, and we're looking at all of them and saying, 'Can we save this money without affecting our core services?'"

Even if the entire £60M were wiped off the Olympics "budget" it would be but a drop in the ocean compared to the £12BN plus being spent on the games.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Age Limit

Those teenagers (under the age of 18) who had hoped to volunteer to be marshals, ticket inspectors, first aiders etc for the London 2012 Olympics will be sorely disappointed.

Britain's child protection laws prevent those who are 18 from actually volunteering to do anything useful in their lives.

For why?

The law requires helpers to be subjected to regular checks, it's not just the teens themselves but also the adults who would have to be checked. As such, the administration involved would simply be too time consuming and costly for anyone under 18 to be allowed to come into contact with an adult.

An absurd outcome.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Nanny's Back!

Good morning loyal readers!

Doubtless many of you have been wondering where this site went to over the last couple of days, indeed I have received a number of worried emails from some of you expressing concerns about the site's unexpected disappearance from cyberspace.

Well, here we are again, I will now relate to you what happened.

Google's (the owner of Blogger) spam bots claimed that Nanny Knows Best was a spam blog and, believing in the principle of shooting first and asking questions later (instead of the more sensible reverse policy), disabled it and asked me to prove it wasn't spam.

Wouldn't it have been more sensible to ask me first if it was spam, and to say if I don't come back in 3 days or so they will then disable the site?

Having deactivated the site without any warning, I was told by Google that I would have to wait several days for them to reactivate it:

"Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. (What is a spam blog?) Since you are an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy and we sincerely apologise for this false positive.

We received your unlock request on 09 May 2010. On behalf of the robots, we apologise for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam."

I decided that being asked to wait for such a long period of time was not very satisfactory, given that this site has been going for many years and has a real human following etc. Therefore I enlisted your help and asked (via my other sites) for people to drop Google a note prodding them about this.

Oddly enough, for a leading 21st century web company, Google is rather hard to contact directly via email.

Nonetheless I found a number of access points:

press-uk@google.com

- Phone: +44 (0)20-7031-3000
- Fax: +44 (0)20-7031-3001

I also faxed the CEO (Eric Schmidt) in the USA (+1 650-253-0001) about it. Oddly enough, within an hour or so of faxing, the site reappeared as if by magic.

My heartfelt thanks to all of you who wrote in, and helped restore this site.

It is ironic that NKB was shut down, as it campaigns against censorship etc.

To add further irony to the story, my HMRC site (www.hmrcisshite.com) which is also on Google was also temporarily out of action on Sunday. However, it restored itself within a few hours.

However, what was really odd was that my gmail account (another Google product) was disabled by Google on Sunday. They asked me to email them my mobile phone number in order for them to send me a reactivation code.

Is Google trying to tell me something?

Once again many thanks for your support and help during this period of stupidity by Google.
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Nanny Knows Best

Off topic, but I would appreciate help from those of you who also read "Nanny Knows Best".

Google's spam bots claim that Nanny Knows Best is spam and have temporarily disabled it.

I now have to wait several days for them to reactivate it:

"Blogger's spam-prevention robots have detected that your blog has characteristics of a spam blog. (What is a spam blog?) Since you are an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog. Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy and we sincerely apologise for this false positive.

We received your unlock request on 09 May 2010. On behalf of the robots, we apologise for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam."

If you can find time to drop Google a note prodding them about this, it would be much appreciated.

press-uk@google.com

Phone: +44 (0)20-7031-3000
Fax: +44 (0)20-7031-3001

It is ironic as NKB campaigns against censorship etc, and indeed (oddly enough) my HMRC site was also down yesterday for a few hours plus my Gmail account (which needed me to reactivate it by sending in my mobile phone number for a special code).

Is Google trying to tell me something?

Thanks

Ken

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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One Million Registrants

Whilst more than a million people had registered for tickets to events at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the organisers have told a gathering of influential world sports leaders that they still need to secure 117 further planning permits to host the 2012 Games.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Jobs For All!

One of the benefits of the London 2012 Olympics, so we were told, was that it was meant to provide jobs in the less wealthy part of London where the games are to be staged.

Taken literally, that is true. However, the actualite is not quite so inspiring.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has revealed that 828 workers out of the total 6,277 workers on the Olympic site are Britons who live locally.

This revelation did not come voluntarily, but was made as a result of a Freedom of Information request (made 6 months ago).

Was it not Gordon Brown who promised that the Olympics would deliver "British jobs for British workers"?

A fatuous and divisive promise, the globalisation of the economy and the fact that we belong to the EU means that large projects such as this will always attract migrant labour (just as British workers go abroad for similar projects).

The foolishness was making the promise in the first place.

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Unsustainable

The Telegraph reports that two years ago Aggregate Industries was awarded the contract to supply aggregate materials (eg concrete, gravel, stone and sand) to the Olympic Park. A key element, so people were given to understand at the time, of the contract was that 99% of the materials would be transported by sustainable transport methods. Within this figure, 25% (250,000 tons) would come by barge via Prescott Lock on the River Lea.

However, Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, has revealed that during 2009 a pathetic 600 tons of material had been transported to the Olympic Park by water.

For why?

It seems that the financial downturn has scuppered the plans to carry out the necessary dredging work. Therefore the tide is only high enough to carry barges for a few hours each day.

However, Aggregate Industries will not face sanctions, it seems that the ODA did not make it a binding requirement of the contract (even though it was a key part of the contract).

I wonder how many other Olympics contracts have been so "naively" negotiated by the ODA?

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The Evening Standard repotts that Newham, the London Olympics borough, is one of London's robbery hotspots.

Met statistics show Newham, with 2,077 offences, the second worst borough for robberies last year.

Its Stratford and New Town ward (including the international rail and Tube stations) came third in a table of London's most robbery-hit wards with 219 offences.

Newham's Forest Gate South ward was also among the top 10 worst areas.

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Record Breaking Olympics

The London 2012 Olympics promises to break at least one record, the number of drugs tests carried out.

The London Organising Committee (Locog) will carry out around 5,000 tests, 10% more than were performed in Beijing in 2008.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Environmental Legacy

The Daily India ran this story back in February about the contamination of the London Olympics site, that seemingly is buried beneath a plastic sheet.

How true is this story, and how much of a hazard does this present given that there is meant to be a "legacy" after the games?

"The entire Olympics site in London has reportedly been built on top of a thin plastic sheet laid at a depth of less than three feet to separate the surface soil from potentially heavily contaminated ground below.

According to reports, it has been revealed that London 2012 chiefs have covered up land that is possibly contaminated with asbestos and radioactive materials with a huge and bright orange sheet.

Spanning more than 600 acres it is buried at a depth of 31inches to protect the health and safety of future builders and homeowners. It is designed as a warning marker layer to anyone digging the foundations of new homes and offices that they must follow special precautions if there is a need to excavate more deeply, the Express reports.

While "clean" soil and debris have been placed above the sheet, anything below it has to be considered hazardous unless proved otherwise."

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Budget Worries

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned (in a statement of the "bleeding obvious") that the London Olympics is facing a "worryingly tight" financial position.

The fact that the original "budget" has spiralled from £3BN to £12BN (including £2BN running costs) should have given them a clue some time ago that all was not well.

The PAC, taking into account the amount of contingency funding already set aside to cover predicted risks, noted that the ODA was left with £194M "headroom".

The final costs for this folly are likely to be around £20BN.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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