Olympic Stadium security guard arrested on Semtex suspicion

Published on Thursday 31 March 2011 01:24

A FEMALE dog handler who works as a security guard at the Olympic Stadium in East London has been arrested on suspicion of possessing plastic explosives - believed to be Semtex.

Yesterday the Metropolitan Police confirmed a 40 year old woman was in custody in Newham in East London after explosives and Class A drugs were found in her car.

The discoveries were made after a tip off led police from the Olympic Site Support Unit to search the woman's car in a car park in Pudding Mill Lane, at the heart of the Olympic site.

However police said the amount of explosives found was 'very small' - and that the discovery was not terrorist related.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police yesterday said: "On March 29, acting on information received, police stopped and searched a woman in a car park off Pudding Mill Lane.

"Her vehicle was searched and a 40-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of possession of an explosive substance and Class A drugs.

"She is in custody at an east London police station."

Following the arrest police searched houses in London and Kent and stopped and searched a car travelling on the M11, however no further discoveries were made and no arrests followed.

Police said the discovery was not related to any sort of terrorist threat. "The Counter Terrorism Command is aware but the incident is not being treated as terrorism related."

"This incident did not represent a threat to the safety and security of the Olympic site.