'Start work early' plan for Games

Thousands of City workers may have to change their hours if London is chosen to host the 2012 Olympics, because of the capital's beleaguered transport system.

Staff at hundreds of London bank branches could be forced to work from dawn to mid-afternoon instead of 9am-5pm, or face shifts lasting fromlate morning into the evening.

Without such radical action, British Olympic chiefs believe, the capital could not cope with the expected 500,000 extra visitors.

Discussions have already taken place between the London 2012 bid team - headed by former gold medallist Lord Coe - and several big companies in the City and Docklands.

Landlords such as Canary Wharf have been asked whether they could help juggle the numbers travelling at peak times.

One executive at a major US bank, which employees thousands at Canary Wharf, said: "I'm sure most of the banks will reach a compromise. Given their interest in corporate social responsibility in their local areas, they would seek to be quite accommodating."

The proposals follow a warning from the International Olympic Committee that London's " obsolete" transport system could stop it being chosen to host the Games.

A spokesman for London 2012 said: "The Olympics need full cooperation from the business community, to be flexible and look at travel times for staff."

The transport plans presented by London to the IOC earlier this year led it to rank the capital third behind Paris and Madrid overall.