Culture Secretary defends ‘honourable’ G4S

Mr Hunt said the firm had been “quite honourable” in the way it had accepted responsibility for the debacle which has seen 3,500 extra troops being drafted in after it was unable to deliver the promised numbers of security guards.

Despite troops returning from arduous operational tours in Afghanistan being forced to cancel leave in order to fill the gaps, he dismissed the problem as no more than a “hitch”. “G4S have been quite honourable. They have put their hands up. Nick Buckles, the chief executive, has said they got it wrong, they have apologised, they are going to cover all the costs, he has apologised to the troops who are going to be drafted in at the last moment,” he said.

Mr Hunt denied Ministers had failed to supervise the contract properly, insisting they had received repeated assurances from G4S that it was on course to meet its commitment to provide 10,000 guards for the Games. He refused to rule out the possibility that more troops may have to be brought in.

“We have contingency plans for all eventualities,” he said.

His comments came as it emerged that Ministers had been warned months ago about concerns over security for the Games.

The Home Office confirmed they had received a confidential report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in February of last year raising a number of “issues to be addressed” with the Games organisers, Locog.

Locog chairman Lord Coe denied Games security would be compromiseLetters: Page 10; Hopes turn into flickering flame: Page 11.