Press TV | Nov. 5, 2011

The organizers of the London Olympics are to bring in up to 6,000 soldiers in order to persuade tourists heading to the British capital that London is a safe city after the unprecedented unrest in August and Metropolitan Police's failure to handle the situation blemished the city's image.

The Metropolitan Police was slammed by the British Prime Minister David Cameron for the way they tackled the widespread unrest which afflicted the country in August. Cameron attacked Scotland Yard for deploying "far too few" officers on streets in London.

China, fiercely proud of its smooth staging of the 2008 Olympic Games, was the first country that raised concerns over whether London could be a safe enough place to host 2012 Olympic Games.

A report on China's state-run Xinhua news agency said "the image of London has been severely damaged, leaving the people skeptical and worried about the public security situation during the London Olympics."

Meanwhile, the British government's efforts to deploy as many forces as possible to police Olympic events are estimated to cost British taxpayers over £1.1 billion. Nevertheless, the government has set a £600 million budget aside.

The proposed measures have caused concerns among the country's military staff, as they fear the troop assistance may affect the already overstretched resources of the Ministry of Defense.

Furthermore, concerns have been raised that securing the Olympic Games may affect everyday policing in other places.

ISH/JR/HE