One in three fear Olympics will be used as target for terrorist attack

The TNS study reveals a wide variation of views among respondents. In the Netherlands more than half (56 per cent) of respondents said they were not confident that the Games would pass without a terrorist incident, compared with 30 per cent of people in Britain, 29 per cent in both France and Germany. In addition, just 17 per cent of adults in Spain felt a terrorist threat could occur at the Games, despite the Madrid train bombings earlier this year.

Other findings from the survey reveal a high level of interest in the Olympics. Across all eleven countries, almost three quarters (74 per cent) said that they would be watching the Games on TV, with more than a quarter (27 per cent) likely to watch 'every day'.

Interest is particularly high in Germany, Finland and the Czech republic with more than eight out of ten respondents saying they are likely to watch the Olympics, compared with just 63 per cent in France. The most avid watchers - those who think they will watch every day - are in Spain (34 per cent) Denmark (33 per cent) and Britain (30 per cent).

At the same time - and in spite of the recent negative media coverage about the progress of construction of the Olympic facilities - there were generally high levels of optimism that the full Olympic site in Athens will be ready on time for the Games' opening on 13th August.

Across all those countries surveyed, almost two thirds (64 per cent) said they thought that the full Olympic site would be ready on time. People in Britain, Norway and Denmark were the most pessimistic, while those in the Czech Republic, Finland and France, Germany were the most optimistic about preparations meeting the deadline.

Marita Caballo, Global Head of TNS Polling & Social commented: 'Levels of confidence in the 2004 Olympics passing without any terrorist attack are relatively low given that they are the first Olympics since 9/11 and also since the most recent Iraq War. There is a significant minority of people in those countries surveyed who feel that there will be some sort of terrorist attempt or attack during the two weeks of the Games.

It will clearly be an immense task for the organisers to ensure that security is effective whilst at the same time to convince participants and spectators alike that the threat of any attempted terrorist action is kept to an absolute minimum.'