RESIDENTS OF A tower block in London have lost request for permission for a judicial review of a Ministry of Defence decision to place missiles and security teams on the roof of their flat complex for the duration of the Olympic Games.
The residents of Fred Wigg Tower in East London were informed in April that surface-to-air missiles would be placed on the roof of the complex, which is 15 storeys high and contains 117 flats.
Renters and owners had expressed concern that there had been little or no consultation, and worried that the placing of the weapons might make them targets for a terrorist attack.
The judge in the high court said today that the consultation process carried out by the Ministry of Defence was “immaculate” and said that the presence of the missiles presented no real threat to residents, but were essential to the safety of the Olympic Games.
Reporter with the British Forces News James Banks was at today’s ruling and tweeted the reaction of the residents’ lawyer:
The Ministry of Defence has said that the deployment of the missiles is planned to take place very soon, and that any appeal by the residents will have to take place straight away.
The claim that the placement of the weapons infringes on the residents’ human rights was dismissed by the judge, who said the duty to protect the wider public was greater.
Read: Missiles installed on London roof in advance of Olympics>
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