David Thorneycroft, a 50-year-old father-of-two from Essex, who works G4S Secure Solutions, the official security services provider for the London 2012 Games, was arrested following an online sting operation in which he was allegedly lured by an officer posing as a child on the internet.

Metropolitan Police's specialist Paedophile Unit confronted Thorneycroft at Buckingham Palace after allegedly going there thinking he would meet a young girl he had been "grooming".

Following the arrest, police searched Thorneycroft's home in Colchester and seized his laptop, while he was remanded in custody by Westminster magistrates on November 3.

The G4S manager is yet to enter a plea and will appear in court at a date yet to be fixed.

"He has been suspended as is normal procedure until the end of the legal process," said a spokesman for G4S.

"He didn't come into contact with anyone under 18 during his work."

G4S, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, employs 50,000 people in the UK and is widely heralded as one of the world's biggest security firms.

The firm became the 23rd domestic tier three sponsor of London 2012 in March this year and will provide training and management for the 10,000-strong security workforce that will work closely with police and local authorities, ensuring the Games remains a safe event for competitors and spectators alike.

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