11 Jul 2012

Olympic missile case lost

8:38 am on 11 July 2012

A group of residents in east London have lost an attempt in the High Court to prevent surface-to-air missiles being stationed on the roof of their council tower block during the Olympics.

A judge has ruled that tenants at the Fred Wigg Tower in Leytonstone did not have an arguable case.

The tenants fear the missile base above their heads could make them the focus for a terrorist attack. The BBC reports the judge did not agree.

Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said he agreed with the Ministry of Defence that a tower block was the only suitable site for the missiles and the facts of the case were not susceptible to a sensible challenge.

He added the ministry's voluntary engagement with the community over the plans was immaculate and said the residents who challenged the missile sites had misunderstood the facts.

The 15-storey tower block is one of six locations selected for missiles to be stationed.

Lawyers argued in court on Tuesday that residents who wanted to move out should at least be relocated in hotels by the ministry for the duration of the Games, or a gantry should be erected to take the missile system.