"We'd be much better off without the Olympics," complains Prokopis. His gypsy community has already been evicted to make way for an Olympic car park. Their new home is 50 km out of Athens on the site of a NATO dumping ground. Facilities are inadequate and the water supply is filthy. When Olympic venues are cordoned off next month, their lives will get even harder. Like other locals they'll be prevented from entering sections of Athens altogether. It's all part of a billion dollar security plan to ensure the summer Olympics are safe. It may please the Olympic Committee but for many the security is too stringent. "We have never had an army in the city," complains resident Anne Vafidi. For Athenians, the Olympic gold may well have just lost its lustre.