The man responsible for policing the London 2012 Olympics says lessons have been learned from the actions of pro-Tibet protestors as the torch made its way through the capital.

Thirty-seven arrests were made after clashes between pro-Tibet protesters and police, and repeated attempts were made to breach the security cordon.

Now Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who heads up London's Olympic security directorate, has said that "a formal debrief" is to be held around the days events.

"Could the route have been shortened? This is one of the issues I am reflecting on," he told the BBC at a World Sports Law Report event in London.

"Our tactical plan worked. It was to protect the torch and bearer and to make sure it went through the route. It did, and on time."

Police had a priority to protect the safety of those and to ensure that there were no serious injuries, he said.

"We allowed peaceful protest as much as we could under the circumstances.

"There was a protective region around the torch, that was effective.

"What happened was that we were under attack from the word go - that creates public anxiety.

"The majority came to watch the torch, but we were subject to constant intrusion which made things difficult."

'High bar'

The lessons to be learned from that high-profile day will all help Assistant Commissioner Ghaffur as he enhances his security plan for around the London games in four years' time.

As head of up the Olympic security directorate, he has a staff of 7,000 and will oversee a Ј600m security operation covering 60 days around the games.

"Between now and 2012 the general security threat is predicted to remain severe," he said.

"There is a new type of global terrorism. We have to plan the games with the security bar set very high.

"I always have to think - 'what could stop the games going ahead'.

"Will there be a physical attack? Will there be a cyber attack? Will there be a chemical attack?

As well as protecting people (including the 200 heads of state expected at the opening ceremony) normal levels of policing for London are still needed during the games.

"In addition, there needs to be a consistent 'look and feel' for policing the games, and there is also the fact that we cannot change start times," he said.

And his plan illustrates the number of opportunities that are going to be available for manufacturers of security equipment and high-tech ticketing and passes, as well as for private security firms.

"Technology has to be a major tool, particularly CCTV," says Assistant Commissioner Ghaffur.

"We are installing a technological footprint across London as our first line of security.

"We cannot police the games without an extensive level of technology. This will be our first level of policing."

Ticket issues

The Metropolitan Police uses 10,000 CCTV cameras to police London but there are perhaps as many as 500,000 cameras in the capital that can be used in a coordinated way.

As well as CCTV, state-of-the-art ticketing can potentially track spectators, as well as eliminating touting.

Tracking technology is being developed that can enable a spectator to be tracked from the venue to his or her home with the tickets, what Assistant Commissioner Ghaffur calls "end-to-end tracking of tickets".

"There will be nine million tickets and they need to be tamper proof. Fakes and forgeries cause chaos at admission points, and anger among those refused entry.

"Another important security feature will be the issue of tickets which will be linked to the identity of buyers," he added.

'Swift reaction'

Further technological tools include identity-recognition techniques to monitor the crowds, enhanced car number-plate recognition, and three new helicopters to carry out close surveillance during the games.

"The second line of security is police officers and private security firms.

"The third level is command and control, to deal swiftly with any incidents. We will move in quickly and shut any incidents down - a swift reaction is imperative."

Meanwhile tight checks, including biometric fingerprints, are being conducted on the 40,000-strong workforce building the venues.

"At present we have been working with the authorities to secure the venues. There are barriers and perimeter security and screening."

'Negligible crime'

There is currently a security zone around the stadiums, with access controls for every worker.

"The level of crime on site is negligible," he says.

"And there is no absolute evidence of a terror threat against the games at present. But of course we are planning against a threat assessment that is high.

"At the moment I think that the biggest worry is the cyber dimension, some sort of cyber attack on the games."

Meanwhile the protests around the 2008 Beijing torch have moved on to Paris and San Francisco from London.

"We have learned some lessons around high-level planning, as well as other lessons," says Assistant Commissioner Ghaffur.

"And we have learned lessons about explaining to the public about what we did and why."