Parachutists land by 2012 Olympics site—without security alert

PARACHUTISTS have landed this-morning in East London close to the security-sensitive 2012 Olympics site. Two were spotted by a photographer coming down at Stratford. But the mystery deepened as Scotland Yard admitted it knew nothing about it

By Mike Brooke

PARACHUTISTS have landed this-morning in East London close to the security-sensitive 2012 Olympics site.

Two were spotted by a photographer coming down at Stratford. But the mystery deepened as Scotland Yard admitted a few moments ago they knew nothing about it.

Photographer Dan McCurry was in the area taking shots of the sunrise at Bow Bridge, looking east towards Stratford, when the first parachute came into the frame, clearly seen descending towards the A11 westbound carriageway at Stratford High Street.

"I got a shot of the parachute as he came down to land," McCurry reported. "Then another shot moments after he landed on the pavement near the corner of Abbey Road and his chute deflated."

The parachutes appear to have come from the tall crane on the north side of the High Street near the Olympic site.

But Scotland Yard could throw no light on them.

"We know nothing of parachutists landing in the middle of East London," said a puzzled spokesman this-morning.

Police received no reports from passers-by and were not investigating.