Today marks the halfway point between London winning the bid for the 2012 Olympics and the games beginning.

And though visible progress has been made at the site, the Shadow Olympics Minister, Faversham and Mid Kent MP Hugh Robertson, doesn't think it's a day to celebrate.

He said: " I think it's a slightly artificial landmark, and in the year after Beijing, I'd much rather see the olympic movement put their heads down and get on with it, rather than constructing a false birthday party."

The Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been at the site today and said work is 'ahead of shedule'.But Mr Robertson isn't so sure.

"I think we've made very good progress in some areas, notably with assembling the olympic park, and the organising committee's also done extremely well in getting sponsorship.

"So far they secured around £400 million, which is a condiderable achievement well beyond the games.

"Having said that I think there are still big questions about the finance of the athletes' village, where the media centre will be built, and probably most crucially, we still have no real security plan.

"Given that it was security that blew apart the budget for the games in Sydney and Athens, that's a very serious situation."

He said pictures had been shown on TV this week of the Olympic Stadium at Stratford rising from the ground - a promising sign given the games are still three-and-a-half years away.

But Mr Robertson says even at this early stage, a security plan should have been out a year ago.

The cost of policing the event will almost definitely rise if there are any major security scares in the Capital between now and then.

He said "There's nothing we can do about that but we can plan early and get the budget under control, and the Home Office has failed to grip the situation'.

Around 3,500 people have already been employed to work on the games - which will rise to 11,000 by next year.

Jobs across the board will be accessible to people living in Kent - by then a journey between Ebbsfleet and Stratford will be as short as 10 minutes on the high speed rail link.

Hugh Robertson says the employment opportunities can only be a good thing, but it's impossible to divorce the current economic situation from the Olympics.

"There's a real danger that many of the sponsors may pull out or that some of the building contractors will go under, which will have a massive effect."

One of the big promises to critics of London's Olympics bid was that it would 'generate a revolution of sport in this country', motivating us all to get involved and get fit.

But Mr Robertson says the Government's falling very short of that promise.

"All they've said so far is that there'll be free swimming for the over 65s. But even that, when you look at the small print is not what it seems. Actually the Government will make a small contribution, which has to be matched by local authorities, and many aren't taking part in the scheme."