East Londoners Suing Over Olympics Rooftop Missiles

Residents from a tower block in Leytonstone, East London are "fighting plans for the high velocity missiles to be deployed" on their rooftops as part of wider Olympic security plans, according to Vanessa Kortekaas of the FINANCIAL TIMES. They are seeking an injunction to stop the Ministry of Defence from using their tower as one of six bases for the missiles. The barrister representing the residents, Marc Willers, said placing missiles on the Fred Wigg tower makes it a target for an "evil statement" by terrorists. Willers said that their case was driven by the "unprecedented" sitting of missiles on a residential block in peacetime, without adequate consultation with the residents. The residents are also "concerned that they could be injured by part of the missile structure falling away" in the event they are fired (FINANCIAL TIMES, 7/9).