2012 Olympic security costs soar

LONDON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Rising security costs are threatening to break the budget of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Security cost estimates have increased by 40 percent, from $1.2 billion to $1.7 billion, which means the Summer Games' overall budget of $19 billion may be surpassed, British government officials told The Times of London.

Officials said events like terrorist attacks or other security threats could push Olympics policing costs even higher and that such costs were difficult to accurately estimate, the Times said.