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'Unpaid' jobless Jubilee stewards

A security firm has allegedly forced a group of long-term unemployed jobseekers to sleep under London Bridge before working on the Diamond Jubilee river pageant. There are reports that the attendants were unpaid for their work.

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Security firm director claims steward situation is 'exaggerated'

Molly Prince, managing director of Close Protection UK, says the situation has been "exaggerated".

We're talking about two or three people complaining out of 220 staff that were supplied to the event.

It was badly handled and for that we've extensively apologised. We're not in the business of exploiting free labour.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today, she said the stewards had been left under London Bridge after the bus arrived there two hours earlier than scheduled.

There was an employee on the bus. That's an issue for myself to deal with internally and I don't agree with his decision to allow the deployment of these people into the bridge area.

They should have been left on the coach until the director arrived on site with the other staff members.

Ms Prince also insisted there was "dry sheltered accommodation" provided at the campsite and that the "logistical mistakes" from the weekend would be "learnt from in readiness for the Olympics".

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