Ministers Call For Investigation Into 'Unpaid' Jubilee Stewards

Ministers are being urged to investigate claims that unemployed people were hired as unpaid stewards for the Diamond Jubilee and ended up having to sleep outside.

The Guardian newspaper reported that volunteers from the government's work programme spent part of the night under London Bridge before Sunday's Thames pageant.

Reports in the newspaper alleged that volunteers bussed in from Bristol, Plymouth and Bath had to spend part of the night under London Bridge, with one saying that conditions were "freezing" and another saying it was impossible to pitch a tent due to the concrete surface.

They also told the newspaper that they had to change into their clothing - which included a plastic poncho for protection against the rain and high-visibility jacket - in public and had no access to toilets during the 14-hour shift.

Close Protection UK, the company in charge of employing and managing the stewardship of the event, has apologised and blamed a "misunderstanding" that led to volunteers being dropped off too early.

The security company said staff should not have been dropped off at 0300 BST with nowhere to stay, but confusion had arisen because the coach driver was two hours ahead of schedule.

In a statement, managing director Molly Prince offered her "sincere apologies", but accused the newspaper of trying "to sensationalise an unfortunate logistics planning problem".

"Nobody was sent to camp under a bridge overnight as the report suggests," the statement read.

"The volunteer group arrived early and were de-bussed by the coach company who had given a 5am/5.15am [estimated time of arrival] and unfortunately, my member of staff did not deal with this in the way that I would have hoped."

She added: "There was no intention to exploit anyone or indeed supply cheap labour."

Labour’s Lord Prescott has called on Home Secretary Theresa May to urgently investigate what happened.

"If the allegations are true, it is totally unacceptable that young unemployed people were bussed in to London from Bristol, Bath and Plymouth and forced to sleep out in the cold overnight before stewarding a major event with no payment."

(H/GK)