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Met 'studies Chinese bugging tactics' for 2012 games

'I had MI5 in the back of my cab last week'

Police are considering bugging London cabs as part of increased security for the 2012 Olympics, it's reported.

Senior officers have studied methods used by the Chinese for the Beijing games, according to The Sunday Times, which included installing thousands of covert microphones in taxis.

A restricted report on the tactics said the microphones transmitted conversations back to a central control room, where officers could remotely disable suspect vehicles, the paper claimed.

The Met found there were "lessons to be learnt" from Chinese security measures, but warned that a "fine balance between the use of technology to support security requirements and individual rights to privacy will be an open debate in the UK for 2012".

The report has been studied by the government, Security Service and chief constables.

A spokesman for the Met declined to comment, saying the force does not discuss leaked documents. ®

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