Security fears could close 'Olympic gateway' canal

The Met want a three-mile stretch of the River Lee Navigation to be off limits to the public because it poses too great a risk to Olympic security.

The popular towpath, which has received a multi-million pound upgrade for the Games, could also shut for the duration of the Games.

Police and Olympics chiefs told British Waterways of the clampdown last month in a move that has raised concerns that the Olympic no-go area is widening.

The canal runs along the western fringe of the Park and is particularly close to the media centre, handball arena and Olympic stadium.

The proposal would scupper eco-friendly transport plans to ferry thousands of spectators per day to the Games by river and use it as a mooring for pleasure boats.

A shuttle service was scheduled to depart from Limehouse Basin with passengers disembarking at Old Ford to make the short walk into the Park.

British Waterways believes closure of the canal should be a last resort and accuses the police of not considering alternatives.

Closure of the towpath, a crucial north-south route through three east London boroughs, would cause massive disruption to residents who use it every day.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "Together with the Home Office we are in discussion with British Waterways regarding how we can best protect the Olympic Park during Games times. This includes early consideration about how best to regulate access to the River Lea Navigation Canal. These discussions have started due to the specific geography of this area and how close the canal is to the Olympic Park. It is vital that the Park is safe and secure and we will work with all our partners to make sure this happens. No final decision has yet been made."

In a submission to a meeting of today's London Assembly transport committee, British Waterways' head of regeneration Richard Rutter, said: "We believe the perceived threat has not been fully assessed and mitigation measures have not been fully considered. Access to and along waterways is significantly different to access from roads."

Closing the towpath would have a "significant negative consequence" on the route which is used by thousands of people every day, he said . "The experience of cycling and walking adjacent to the Park is part of the Games experience and should be a memorable opportunity for many thousands of people."

He urged the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Olympic Delivery Authority to consider mitigating the risk as an alternative to closure.

Measures would include delegating its powers to police to stop and search boats, allowing police patrol on the waters, and making advance booking compulsory for any passenger services neat to the Games site.

Today's transport committee will scrutinise Olympic transport plans and call on the ODA to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding the implementation of the VIP-only Olympic road lanes.

Umbrella group London Councils and the Federation of Small Businesses have complained that their requests for a detailed plan of the unprecedented anti-congestion measures have been declined.

Councils have also called on the Olympic sponsors - who comprise 25,000 of the 70,000 "Games family" entitled to use the lanes - to waive their right to do so and switch to public transport.