A spokesperson for Marylebone Police has reported that there are "genuine concerns" about the safety of gamers planning to attend the PS3 launch at Virgin Megastore.

The launch is to be held at 12am on March 23, in otherwords late night Thursday on Oxford Street.

"We do not support these midnight launches, that is the bottom line. There are inherent problems we can't deal with easily", the spokesperson said.

Apparently, the police have met with both Sony and Virgin and have been placated about what the store and console giant have planned.

"In fairness, the store is meeting us half-way", the spokeperson said. "There won't be any crowds on the street."

The police’s concern lies with the location of the Megastore, set on a narrow stretch of pavement where it isn’t possible to put up crowd barriers.

The Police are also worried about the safety of consumers travelling both to and from the event, especially if they’re carrying bags with a PS3.

"We don't want people walking around London with expensive pieces of equipment late at night. We want Oxford Street to be vibrant and successful, but we don't want victims of crime", the spokesperson said.

"It's an advert for muggers, basically", a Westminster council spokesperson added.

Both Sony and Virgin have said that they are doing everything to make sure the event is a success.

"We've liaised with both the police and Westminster Council, and put a number of measures in place to ensure that everyone attending the midnight launch gets home safely."

>> Link - Official Site/Metropolitan Police
>> Link - Official Site/Virgin Megastores