LONDON (Reuters) - The cost of the London 2012 Olympics could rise by up to 180 million pounds, mainly because of security, but will remain within budget, organisers said on Tuesday.

The anticipated final cost is set to rise by 21 million pounds, largely as a result of the poor economic climate, but a further 110 to 160 million pounds could be spent on securing the Olympic Park and venues during the Games and immediately afterwards, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said in its latest financial reports.

The extra money will come from the remaining 1.25 billion pound contingency fund, and the overall cost will stay within the 9.3 billion pounds budget.

Organisers hope some of the 110-160 million pounds will be offset by savings elsewhere.

Of the 21 million pounds, 13 million has already been drawn down from the contingency.

"As we enter the busiest and most exciting phase of the Olympic project so far, this report shows we are still on time and still on budget," Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said in a statement.