G4S Called Into The Home Office Following Ben Fellows’ Whistleblowing

Jul 17, 2012 Source: ukcolumn.org

The Home Office is allocating a further 3,500 troops to shore up G4S failing Olympic security operation, following exposure by Ben Fellows on the UK Column Live and other outlets including Louise Collins Radio Show, Tony Gosling’s Bristol based radio show, and Alex Jones.

[Red Ice Radio: Ben Fellows - G4S Olympic Security Fiasco]

According to the BBC, former retired British Army infantry commander Colonel Richard Kemp said the timing of the announcement was "bizarre".

It does not seem bizarre to the UK Column, however, as it was clear from our conversations with G4S over the last couple of weeks that they were more concerned about keeping Ben Fellows’ allegations quiet than the allegations themselves. G4S’ media team claimed that his allegations were 99% false, and that the UK Column should be very careful about publicising them.

To date however, and despite numerous telephone calls, G4s have refused to make any formal comment about Fellows’ allegations, and have so far not taken up our offer to join us on UK Column Live for a right of reply.

Ben Fellows’ is an investigative journalist specialising in undercover work. His CV includes work for the Cook Report. He went undercover to persue his "Olympic dream" as G4S likes to call it, to become a member of the security team. However, he soon discovered a host of failings in the training. His allegation include:

Security officers only receive 4 days training in total

Uniforms going missing

Photos takes on secure areas

Foreign troops deployed through Woolwich Baracks

Security scanners turned off at peak times

No proper training for x-ray scanners

Experienced and trained ex-military personnel not made team leaders, preferring to give the role to inexperienced trainees

No training given in the evacuation proceedure for the stadium, but were told that they will be involved in the evacuation of London