London 2012: 13,500 troops to provide Olympic security

Up to 7,500 military personnel will provide venue security on peak days

Up to 13,500 military personnel will help to provide security at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said security would remain police-led but the armed forces would make a "significant contribution".

Some 5,000 troops will support the police, while up to 7,500 will provide venue security at peak times, he said.

Last week, ministers revised the Games security budget from £282m to £553m.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it now estimated 23,700 security staff would be required at Olympic and Paralympic venues next summer, more than double the original estimate of 10,000.

In a written ministerial statement, Mr Hammond said that the MoD would increase its normal support work to the civilian authorities - such as bomb disposal, building search teams and specialist sniffer dogs.

In addition to the 5,000 personnel allocated to that role, some 3,500 would provide venue security.

This figure would rise to 7,500 on peak days during the Olympic Games, he said.

Mr Hammond told the BBC that security during the Games was "the biggest military challenge this country has faced for decades".

But he added that military deployment during Olympic Games was routine since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.