WHAT'S NEXT: INNOVATIONS IN NEWSPAPERS

The Daily Telegraph explains:

Officially described as “volunteers” by Beijing, the 30 blue track-suited guards were recruited from specialist squads in the People’s Armed Police (PAP), a one-million strong force dedicated to maintaining public order …

The hand-picked members of the “The Olympic Holy Flame Protection Unit” are all above 5ft 9in and underwent a rigorous training programme at the PAP special police academy in Beijing last August.

And The First Post adds more details:

Lord (Sebastian) Coe, the former gold medalist who runs the committee planning London’s 2012 Olympic Games, is one of many people questioning how the blue track-suited Chinese guards protecting the Olympic flame on its controversial world tour were allowed to manhandle people – and even scuffle with British police – in London this week.

Coe was overheard by Channel 4 News saying: “They tried to push me out of the way three times. They are horrible. They did not speak English… I think they were thugs.” He added that other cities on the route should “get rid of those guys”.

Konnie Huq, the former Blue Peter presenter who took part in the London stage, and was approached by protestors trying to grab the torch from her hands, described how the Chinese guards shouted orders at her and pushed her arm to make her lift the torch higher.

“They were very robotic, very full on, and actually I noticed them having skirmishes with our own police and the Olympic authorities before our leg of the relay, which was confusing,” she said…

Their fitness routine has included running 25 to 20 miles a day and most have martial arts expertise. All have scored highly in “political tests” – a euphemism for ideological training. Most important, they’ve had lessons from a physics teacher in how to keep a flame from going out.

When the squad was formed last August, their leader, Zhao Si, boasted to the Chinese media that the men’s “outstanding physical quality is not in the slightest inferior to that of specialised athletes.”

One city where they will not be welcome is Australia’s capital, Canberra, where the Olympic torch is due next Tuesday. “I have seen what occurred in London,” said Michael Phelan, Canberra’s police chief, “and I can tell you that type of security arrangement will not be occurring here.”

As the The Guardian’s leader will say tomorrow:

“The 30 officers of the “Holy Flame Protection Unit” should be withdrawn, and the torch be given a rest until the games begin.”