A SOLDIER from Ellesmere Port has been playing a key role in protecting the public during the London 2012 Olympics.
Private Colin Morris, of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, worked as part of the venue security team at the Olympic tennis events at Wimbledon after private security firm G4S failed to provide enough staff.
Keen boxer Private Morris, 20, is one of the servicemen who stepped in to save the day.
He said: “I’m happy to be playing a small part in such a massive event as the Olympics.
“We’re busy and its very different work to being an infantry soldier in Afghanistan, but there’s a really nice atmosphere at Wimbledon.”
The former Cheshire Oaks High School pupil has been in the Army for two years and returned from a six-month tour of Afghanistan in April.
In total 18,200 military personnel are involved in the police and civilian-led security effort for the Olympic Games. Some 12,200 are supporting venue security operations, carrying out tasks such as patrolling and pedestrian and vehicle screening.
2 Mercian is a light infantry battalion based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and recruits soldiers from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Worcestershire.
