MORE than £8 million could be spent on security for the 2012 Olympics over the next five years in Weymouth and Portland.

Dorset Police has applied for government grants, including £8,386,700 to boost CCTV, an Auto-matic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system and a computer network to link the cameras.

Up to 60 jobs could also be created to police the borough's Olympic events.

A report by Dorset Police Authority into the 2012 games said developing Weymouth and Portland's CCTV and an ANPR network was a critical area of work and underpins the whole operational planning process'.

An application for £772,200 has been submitted to lease and refurbish Victoria Buildings at Osprey Quay, Portland, as a police base for the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events.

Other plans in the pipeline for the Olympics include securing funding for an additional assistant chief constable to help handle security.

Chief Supt David Griffiths, of the Dorset Police Olympic planning team, said up to 60 jobs could be created in the run-up to the 2012 games as the force builds up its security operation.

He said the aim was to ensure that it was business as usual in Dorset during the Olympics.

He added: "We have to remember that the Olympic Games is a fantastic opportunity for the area that has to have a security operation to protect it. My job is to plan for the worst and hope for the best."

Dorset Police has gained permission from the South West of England Regional Development Authority (SWRDA) to use Victoria Buildings on Osprey Quay. The former government Property Service Agency building currently serves as a site office for SWRDA. The police already have a ground floor office there.

Subject to Home Office funding, the building would house a multi-agency planning and operation centre. It would be a base for the planning team and then a police command centre.

The command centre would be under the control of the Dorset Police headquarters in Winfrith.

Dorset Police has secured £700,000 Olympic funding for this year but no confirmation of future funding has yet been received.

Ministers are expected to consider the full programme for all Olympic security this December.

Current funding includes a £20,000 provision for Dorset Police to conduct a seven-day planning visit to the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events in Qingdao, China next month.

The Metropolitan Police are also visiting the games in Beijing, but not the sailing events.

Chief Supt Griffiths has applied to go with five of his team. He said: "It is our only opportunity to see the size and scale of the Olympic Games before it comes to the waters of Weymouth and Portland. The Olympics only comes around every four years. In 2012 we've only got one go to get it right."

Weymouth and Portland is not only hosting the only Olympic Village outside London for the duration of the 2012 games, but is also mounting two International Olympics Committee test events in 2010 and 2011.