Olympic missile defences (located at a cafe) under threat... from the Corky-Fruited Water Dropwort

By Glen Owen

PUBLISHED: 01:05 GMT, 11 March 2012 | UPDATED: 01:05 GMT, 11 March 2012

Plans to use surface-to-air missiles to protect the skies over London during the Olympics could be thwarted – because they will disturb the habitat of a rare wild flower.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has ordered batteries of Rapier missiles to be placed in South-East London, ready to deal with any airborne terrorist threat to the Games.

But the move has led to a row with one local MP, who says the missiles risk damaging an area of historic woodland, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which contains the Corky-Fruited Water Dropwort.

Labour’s Clive Efford is furious he was not consulted before the decision was made and he is objecting to the missiles being sited in 8,000-year-old Oxleas Wood in his Eltham constituency.

The Games will mark the first time that the UK has deployed the weapons to protect civilians.

FULL STORY: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2113268/Olympic-missile-def...