Coe plays down London 2012 security fears

LONDON (Reuters) - London 2012 Olympics chief Sebastian Coe said on Thursday that Britain was well-equipped to deliver a safe Games after the attacks in Mumbai put security of major events back in the spotlight.

A considerable chunk of London's operating budget will be eaten up by security measures but Coe said the city had the experience to cope with any threats.

"Our security plans are under way and we will deliver a secure Games," Coe told reporters at an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Beijing debriefing in London.

"One of the great advantages we have in this city is that this is a city that has been dealing with these sorts of issues for certainly longer than I've lived here.

"We have a police force that has an extraordinary high international reputation. I say this with no complacency as it's not a very nice world we live in but our plans are under way. Like every city, we take security very seriously."

Last year Members of Parliament raised concerns in a report that security preparations were lagging behind other plans, such as the construction of the venues.

In December last year an additional 238 million pounds of contingency money was earmarked for security on top of the 600 million pounds originally stated when the Games budget was announced in March 2007.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Padraic Halpin)