A plaque is to be unveiled in London before the start of the Olympics in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the Munich Games 40 years ago.

The memorial is the initiative of two campaigners: Linda Kelly, a Conservative Jewish councillor in Hackney – one of the designated Olympic boroughs – and Martin Sugarman, chairman of the Hackney Anglo-Israel Friendship Association.

"We thought it was a travesty that none of the Olympic cities since Munich, as far as we know, had erected a plaque to commemorate the event," Mr Sugarman said.

He said that after lobbying, without success, the London Jewish Forum and other groups to take up the idea, he and Councillor Kelly decided to pursue it themselves.

"We found someone with a building who is willing to donate a plaque there," Mr Sugarman said.

The location is in Hackney but is otherwise being kept under wraps until shortly before the unveiling on July 22, the Sunday before the start of the Olympics. "We were told by the appropriate authorities we shouldn't reveal it before," he said.

Adrian Cohen, chairman of the LJF, said: "The Jewish Committee for the London Games - of which LJF is a member - welcomes this initiative to commemorate Munich."

In 1972, Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes and took nine others hostage in a raid on the Olympic village. The remaining captives were massacred when German police tried to rescue them at Munich airport.