4,000 people to take part in London 2012 test event

London, April 24 (IANS) Four thousand Britons will take part in the biggest test event this week for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The third and final test event will simulate a number of incidents that could happen during the Games and test how different agencies work together to deal with them. These exercises are part of a wider testing programme being run by Olympic organisers.

This week's test will replicate the eighth, ninth and tenth days of the Olympics(4th-6th August) when 26 sporting events will take place across 14 venues, including beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade, the triathlon in Hyde Park and tennis at Wimbledon.

Jeremy Hunt, Minister of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said: "Obviously nothing can fully prepare us for the reality of hosting the world's biggest sporting event, but we really want to make sure we do all we can to ensure we deliver an Olympics and Paralympics that are as safe and secure as possible, while also making sure everyone involved has a great time."

This test event will run from April 24-26 and involves the Games organisers, the Government, emergency services, local councils, health providers and transport operators.

It will test the effectiveness, resilience and decision-making capability of key Games-time command and control structures and processes. These will include communication between the Games organisers, the Government and other partners, as well as communication with the media, the general public and operational staff.