General view of Tobacco Dock at Pennington Street, Wapping, East London, UK August 12, 2008

Disused shopping centre Tobacco Dock is to host 2,500 extra military personnel drafted in to help provide security during the Olympics, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

Troops from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force will be deployed into the grade 1 listed 19th century former tobacco warehouse this week.

The 16,000 square metre site in Wapping was converted unsucessfully into a shopping centre in 1990, but has since been used for a variety of functions including exhibitions and filming.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: “Since last week’s uplift in the military contribution we have been working hard to ensure that our Armed Forces are accommodated appropriately and as comfortably as possible with access to sufficient rest and recreational facilities.

“I am confident that the Tobacco Dock will allow us to do that and our priority over the coming days is to ensure that happens as quickly as possible.”