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Jubilee stewards left out in cold?

Queen Elizabeth II travels through Whitehall by carriage with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, on the way to Buckingham Palace during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London, June 5, 2012. UPI/Hugo Philpott
Queen Elizabeth II travels through Whitehall by carriage with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, on the way to Buckingham Palace during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London, June 5, 2012. UPI/Hugo Philpott | License Photo

LONDON, June 6 (UPI) -- A security company has apologized for leaving unemployed volunteers without shelter in London after busing them in to work as stewards for the Jubilee flotilla.

The group said their buses got to London 2 hours early Sunday and they were ordered to get off and find what shelter they could on a cold rainy night, the Daily Mirror reported. They had signed on because they hoped the unpaid work would lead to paid jobs during the Summer Olympics in London.

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Many huddled under London Bridge.

Close Protection UK admitted its planning had been faulty. The company apologized to those stuck out in the cold.

"We are not in the business of exploiting anyone," it said in a statement.

Gail Cartmail of the union UNITE called for an investigation, saying there should be no repeat during the Olympics.

"They were just dumped in London," Cartmail said. "Taking advantage of people desperate to find work is despicable."

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