Greek police and other security staff will have to wait until 2005 to take their summer holidays as a bill submitted to parliament bans all leave during next year's Athens Olympics, officials said on Monday.

The bill says no security officer can take days off work between July 1 and September 30, 2004 while the country prepares the biggest ever security operation in the history of the Olympics.

The Games start on August 13 in the capital and Athens also hosts the 2004 Paralympics in September.

More than 45,000 security officers will be on duty during the Games, about three times as many as at the Sydney 2000 Games.

Officials are also considering bringing in some 600 recently retired firefighters to assist in operations during the Olympics.

Athens Games organisers have boosted the Games 650 million euro ($771.1 million) security plan, especially after the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. cities and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Recent bombing attacks in neighbouring Turkey have further heightened security concerns in Greece.