MoD lines up 2,000 more Olympic troops The Ministry of Defence is preparing for the possibility that it may need to deploy up to 2,000 more troops as security guards at the Olympic Games, on top of the 3,500 who were called up last week to fill a gap created by G4S. Amid growing uncertainty in Whitehall over whether G4S can fulfil its remaining commitment to provide guards, senior military planners have told the FT that they are actively preparing to provide up to 2,000 extra troops if needed. The MoD has not yet received a formal request from the Home Office for the additional troops, but a senior figure said: "We're internally planning for the possibility that we may have to deploy those extra numbers. It's a contingency because we always plan ahead. We assume this won't be needed but if it is, we're ready. Whitehall sources indicated that the Home Office would have to come to a decision by Thursday on whether to press ahead with the additional call-up, which would take the total of deployed troops to 19,000. MoD contingency planning was stepped up on a day when Nick Buckles, the chief executive of G4S, admitted the contract for his company to provide more than 10,000 personnel for the Games had ended in a "humiliating shambles;" and that only half the promised guards had been deployed to games venues so far. During a tense 90-minute interrogation by members of the Commons" home affairs committee, Mr Buckles said he now hoped 7,000 G4S security guards would turn up to the games, but that only 5,500 were ready to be deployed. According to one senior security expert, the armed forces are now likely to be called upon for more troops. More military will need to be put on standby, just in case G4S cannot achieve even the reduced figures they are now committed to. Nobody will take the risk. How far can anyone in government trust G4S when it says people will turn up? G4S came under pressure from MPs to waive its £57m management fee for the botched Olympic security operation after Mr Buckles - who is already under pressure from anxious shareholders - revealed ongoing uncertainty on what the company could deliver. Mr Buckles promised during the hearing that G4S would pay for police and armed forces who are being hauled in to fill security staffing gaps, including any accommodation charges incurred. Mr Buckles also said G4S would pay bonuses to military personnel who were having to undertake Olympic duties at the last minute if the Ministry of Defence agreed to it. When markets closed on Tuesday, shares in G4S had fallen a further 6 per cent to 240p, meaning they have dropped 17 per cent since last Wednesday, wiping £700m from its market value. "What is clear is that [Mr Buckles"] position is on the line," said Keith Vaz, the committee chairman, after the questioning. I would definitely call on [G4S] to waive their management fee. I don't know how they can possibly accept any management fee - this has been the most appalling management. Mr Buckles had earlier flatly refused to part with the £57m fee on the basis that he had to pay for managers who had been "on the ground for two years." However the CEO did confirm that G4S had abandoned bids for future security contracts at the Brazil World Cup and Rio Olympics Despite the mauling, Invesco, the group's second- largest shareholder, gave its full backing to Mr Buckles in an interview with Reuters. "It's my view that the interests of shareholders are best served by keeping Nick Buckles in this business because his track record is excellent," said Neil Woodford, investment manager at Invesco, which has a 5 per cent stake. I don't want to throw all that away on the back of this failure by local management to provide one contract, one of literally thousands and thousands of contracts this company has around the world. While the focus of political attention remained on G4S on Tuesday, some senior figures who have been involved with preparations for the Olympic games believe that there should be more of a focus on failures by games organisers Locog. "The underlying problem has been Locog, which resisted all attempts for other bodies to oversee everything [that G4S] were doing on the grounds they were a private company," said one independent figure involved in preparing security at the games. The reality is that something as important as recruitment for security should not have been left to Locog without many more supervisory arrangements being put in place. Nick Buckles, chief executive of G4S: We felt ... it would be a tremendous boost to our business to actually be an essential part in delivering the games Asked why he had not resigned: "It's not about me; it's about delivering the contract. I'm the right person to ensure that happens On staff not turning up: "Our normal show rate is about 90 per cent" Our problem at the moment is a shortage of staff ... That shortage is going to manifest itself from today to the games Asked if his company's reputation was "in tatters"" over the "humiliating shambles"," he said: "I cannot disagree with you" Keith Vaz, chair of the home affairs committee "The committee used adjectives such as unacceptable, incompetent and amateurish [to describe Mr Buckles" evidence]. What is clear is that his position is on the line Nicola Blackwood, MP on the home affairs committee I had very little confidence in G4S fulfilling this contract before this session started and now I don't have any confidence at all