体坛英语新闻：Paralympics security remains "substantial"

LONDON, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- London Paralympic Games security remained "substantial" which would be exactly the same as Olympics, officials from Metropolitan Police claimed here on Tuesday.

"There are less venues compared to Olympics...(but) we'll still police to threat level of 'Substantial'-- the same security presence as during the Olympics," said Chris Allison, the Assistant Commissioner of Metropolitan Police.

London 2012, the biggest sporting event in UK history, will also be its biggest ever peacetime security operation. Around 7,000 police officers will be on duty in Paralympics venue areas on peak days, with 3,500 military personnel contributing to security at the venues during the 12-day Paralympics operations.

About 2.4 million tickets were sold, surpassing all previous records and bringing more spectators than ever before, announced Mayor of London Boris Johnson during Media Briefing on Security and Transport Readiness of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, just less than 36 hours before the Games begin.

Johnson said that around 4,200 athletes are already in London.

"There will be impact on transport because the numbers of the Paralympics family is very substantial," claimed Transport for London (TfL) Commissioner Peter Hendy. 66 London Underground stations are step-free and all 8,500 London buses and all 22,000 London taxis are wheelchair-accessible.

"Round the venue. Avoid it. Change your time," said London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games(LOCOG) CEO Peter Deighton, referring to his advices of residents' transportation.