Europe hating English newspaper the Daily Express reports that the upcoming Olympic Games in London has already attracted crime gangs to the British capital. Picking on Romanian beggars, one of the paper's favorite targets, along with single mothers, the EU and 'foreigners' in general, the newspaper claims that Romanian crime gangs have already allegedly sent beggars, pickpockets and prostitutes to London.

They have been “allocated pitches prior to leaving their country and instructed to defend the pitch and work it for the money,” said Westminster crime reduction officer Claire Hardy, quoted by the Daily Express.

The British newspaper mentions groups of up to 60 Romanian rough sleepers cleared up every night from around Marble Arch and Oxford Street. “Police discovered 50 women trafficked into the area to work as prostitutes. They also arrested four women beggars for using babies as young as three weeks old,” according to the daily.

British media highlight the increasing costs caused by this: GBP 13,000 for overtime wardens, and GBP 8,000 for leaflets warning locals not to give money to beggars. The full article here. The Daily Mail also wrote about it. 

Romania's presence at the Olympics in London this summer will not be highlighted only by the sports performances of the Olympic team. Several tube stations in London were renamed after Romanian athletes. King’s Cross metro station, one of the busiest metro stations in London will be named after famous Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, part of an Olympic makeover for the British capital. The names of all 361 tube stations in London will change, taking the names of Olympic heroes. Romania will have five metro stations named after Romanian sportspeople: Nadia Comăneci, Ivan Patzaichin, Elisabeta Lipă, Iolanda Balaş and Georgeta Damian. The London 2012 Olympic Games will take place between July 27 and August 12. The budget for the London Olympics is GBP 9.3 billion ( just over EUR 11.2 billion ).

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)