Glasgow 2014: G4S up for stewarding role at Commonwealth Games

A security firm which admitted its handling of the London Olympics was a "humiliating shambles" may provide stewarding at the Commonwealth Games.

G4S is one of 19 companies being considered by organisers Glasgow 2014 to help police at the event.

The firms will provide stewarding and security at the games venues and other sites, such as the athletes village.

G4S paid £70m in compensation to the London games organising committee which used soldiers to plug security gaps.

G4S came under severe criticism ahead of the 2012 Olympics, when it emerged that it had failed to recruit and train enough of the guards it had promised for the event.

Lessons learned

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Steve Allen, Commonwealth Games security director, said he had no concerns that G4S would fail to meet its stewarding commitments in Glasgow, if selected.

"The situation we find ourselves in is wholly different, certainly in relation to G4S," he said.

"If any private company has learned the lessons of London 2012 its going to be G4S."

Dep Ch Con Allen added: "G4S, in common with all the other companies, have been through this very robust process of competition and assurance over the last few weeks and months.

"There is absolutely no way they would be signed on to the framework if I, as the security director for the games, was not 100% confident that they could deliver what they said they could deliver."

Dep Ch Con Allen said that G4S had a "track record" of working with police in Scotland at major events and he had "a high level of confidence in what they'll deliver".

He also said that robust procedures were in place to ensure the firms engaged for stewarding and security work did not have any criminal links.

A spokesman for G4S said: "We are pleased to confirm that we have been appointed to the framework to provide safety stewarding at venues for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"G4S already provides services at a number of the venues which are to be used for the Games at hundreds of events throughout the year, and we have a good understanding of the requirements for each of those venues.

"Should we be successful as part of the stewarding framework, we will deploy trained and experience staff already working for us at these venues. We did not bid to be included on the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee's security framework."