Olympic Updates

THE BBC was slammed yesterday after deciding to send a whopping 437 staff to cover the Olympics.

The huge figure is nearly 150 more than the number of British athletes taking part in this summer’s Games.

Presenters including newsman Huw Edwards, 46, sports hosts Clare Balding, 37, Gabby Logan, 34, Sue Barker, 51, and swimming champ Sharron Davies, 45 will make the trip to Beijing – all funded by the licence-payer.

A huge number of backroom staff, camera operators and sound engineers will also go.

The figure – 33 more than covered the 2004 Olympics in Athens – was revealed during a police inquiry after travel files went missing. Detectives fear they may have been stolen. (...more)