LONDON – The boss of British security group G4S said Saturday he was sorry that his company had bungled the contract to help protect the 2012 Olympic Games, a humbling televised apology that followed days of ugly news about his firm’s failures.

Nick Buckles spoke to the BBC as British newspapers were filled with accounts of chaotic recruitment, sloppy security, and even an allegation that some G4S staffers weren’t fluent in English. The firm has not been able to provide enough guards, and some 3,500 British troops are being called in to help fill the gap in security and police have been put on notice that they may need to help fill the breach.

“We’re deeply disappointed and we certainly are very sorry for what’s happened over the last week or two,” the chief executive said. “It’s a very complex process. No one’s ever undertaken to recruit 10,000 fully trained security staff for such a lengthy period of time.”