Photo by Defence Images
Redbridge council have been advised by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of plans to base two helicopters at the TA centre in Ilford as part of the increasingly-excessive Olympic security measures.
Barely a day goes past without news of some new and insanely OTT security measure surrounding the Olympics. Surface-to-air missiles stationed on flats in Bow, Epping Forest and Waltham Forest? Check. More military personnel than Afghanistan? Check. Secret SAS base? Check. Retired MI5 agents to keep an eye on things? Check. A warship, eight Lynx helicopters and Royal Marine snipers? Check. More snipers in helicopters? Check. Sonic weapon? Check.
On the one hand, it’s reassuring (I think) that the government is going to so much trouble with security measures — unless it’s all just an elaborate bluff and there’s really only a couple of overworked spies and some sniffer dogs — but on the other hand, remember this is a sporting event. A sporting event which apparently requires missiles to be stationed on blocks of flats. Or surface-to-air Cockneys, according to the Daily Mash.
Presumably, the missiles and snipers will be recycled for next year’s Millwall matches.
Posted on 15 May 2012
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