British Army Plans to Station Surface-to Air Missiles Atop Residential Flats During 2012 Olympics

Britain is set to host the Olympics in July 2012 but the plans by the Ministry of Defence to use residential flats to station their military materiel is already causing fear among property owners.

Block flats in East London have been identified and found to be very ideal for covering the air space where the Olympics stadium is located from any terrorist air threats and the 700 residents living here have already received leaflet notices from the authorities to this effect.

 The Defence Ministry has made it clear that the weapons will be put on top of the houses and they will only be fired as a last resort. Most importantly, the weapons will be stationed on the rooftops of the flats for as long as two months from now, supported by a 24 hour police and military presence.

The biggest fears being expressed by residents is the possibility of their neighbourhood being targeted by terrorists, thereby putting their lives in danger. Many say the decision to use their high rise residential buildings was arrived at arbitrarily without consulting the residents and owners of the property.  

There is also the question of whether or not, the private owners of the property will be compensated for having such high velocity weapons placed atop their buildings. The Ministry of Defence insists a final decision has not been taken, but that a number of sites have been identified, including the flats near Bow in East London, for a robust air security plan during the Olympics which is due to take place in July.