Chinese guards travelling with the Olympic torch could be arrested if they lay hands on protesters in Canberra, an Australian official said today.

Ted Quinlan, the chairman of the Canberra relay taskforce, issued the warning ahead of the flame's visit to the Australian capital next week.

Asked whether the so-called torch attendants would have responsibility for security, he told ABC radio: "The answer is no they won't and, in fact, they could be subject to arrest in fact if they laid a hand on somebody."

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The tracksuited Chinese officials, recruited from paramilitary police forces, were heavily criticised for perceived heavy-handed tactics in London and Paris.

The chairman of the 2012 London Olympic Committee, Sebastian Coe, was overheard describing them as "thugs".

The Australian attorney general, Robert McClelland, said security in Canberra would be the responsibility of the federal police.

"The only role that the Chinese officials will play will be to light the torch should it be extinguished," he said.

Australian police have been given tough new powers for the relay on April 24, said Jon Stanhope, the chief minister for the Australian Capital Territory, which covers Canberra.

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