LONDON OLYMPIC organisers, Locog to their friends, have been given wide-ranging powers over spectators by the government, such as the right to confiscate bottles of water, packed lunches and mobile phones.
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In fact, Olympic staff will be able to ban ANYTHING “that in the opinion of Locog may disturb a session”.
The list of suspect items on Locog’s list includes:
“Food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, liquids in containers of greater than 100ml in size, umbrellas, horns, whistles, drums, rattles, musical instruments, mobile telephones, flasks and Thermoses.”
Locog – the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games – says that its concern is for the “safety and security for athletes, spectators and those working at venues”, but there are worries the stringent rules are in force for marketing reasons, to stop people bringing in brands that haven’t paid to become an official sponsor.
That might sound paranoid, but also on the Locog hit-list are “objects bearing trademarks or other kinds of promotional signs or messages (such as hats, T-shirts, bags etc).”
In a related move, 2012 games officials have also been given powers to hand out fines for motoring offences.
Fines have been set at £200 for straying into a designated VIP car lane, nearly double the usual fine of £120 for bus lane offences.
“This Bill makes a small number of technical changes to the existing measures to enable us to deliver the Government’s commitments to London 2012,” said Hugh Robertson, Minister for the Olympics.
