Olympic security lapses exposed

2004-08-15 08:48

London - A tabloid newspaper in Britain claimed on Sunday that one of its reporters was able to get a job at the main Olympic stadium in Athens without facing a thorough security check.

The Sunday Mirror said its reporter also enjoyed virtually free access to the venue right up to Friday's opening ceremonies, and that a security sweep had failed to find three mock bombs that he had planted.

"While working undercover, our reporter also discovered (that) many workers were not vetted before getting their jobs, vehicles and bags were allowed onto the site without being searched, (and) bomb detectors and scanners were not working," it said.

In addition, the reporter was able to enter the stadium with passes bearing the names "Robert bin Laden" and "Michael Mouse".

The Greek authorities have vowed to maintain ultra-tight security for the Olympiad, the first since the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001 carried out by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

- AFP