The Government's war on drugs continued yesterday with the demolition of a second crack house.

But the blitz once again prompted calls from some residents that the home was not a drugs den.

And the political war of words is rumbling on after the Opposition's Alex Scott once again blasted the Premier for using the event as a publicity stunt.

The derelict two-storey building on King's Court, Hamilton, was reduced to a pile of rubble in a matter of minutes by an excavator just after 10 a.m.

The operation was delayed while Police moved a car parked in a narrow driveway next door to the condemned building. The owner could not be found and officers spent 30 minutes trying to pick the car door lock before discovering that one of the other doors was open all the time.

Once the obstacle had been removed the excavator swung into action, sending masonry and wood crashing down.

But the demolition job angered some residents who claimed their neighbourhood was free of crack dealers and addicts.

And they insisted that the Government was just using the event to get positive media attention. Premier Pamela Gordon, Public Safety Minister Maxwell Burgess and Works and Engineering Minister Jim Woolridge were all at King's Court yesterday morning to see the building come down.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: "They should have left it up -- it's not even a crack house.

"Okay, you get a lot of winos drinking themselves to death in there but not crack users. "And the thing is there are people at Ducking Stool who are living in the trees because they can't afford rent. That house could be lived in by a family. This is just another chance for the Premier to get on TV.'' Inspector Stuart Crockwell of the Police task force dismissed resident's claims that the house was not a crack den.

"We've carried out a surveillance operation on the building and also found drugs paraphernalia -- it's definitely a crack house,'' he said.

Shadow Public Safety Minister Alex Scott once again attacked the Government over it's handling of the operation.

War of words over tearing down house "Surely we can and must spare the public any more of Premier Gordon's temper tantrums,'' he said.

"Therefore, let us suggest to her and her Minister for Public Safety that they both cease and desist from the practice of using the Bermuda Police Service as a part of their General Election campaign publicity machine.

"When the Police task force go in and knock down someone's door because they believe there might be drugs inside, they do not do so with the media and UBP Cabinet and election candidates in attendance. It is carried out far, far away from the glare of public scrutiny. So let it be with this initiative.

"Let the Premier commit to permitting the Police to continue their work away from the UBP election publicity machine. If she desires real credibility, let her cancel any plans she may have had to use the photos of the crack house demolitions in her party's campaign layouts and video commercials. Then we and the public will accept that this is no longer a UBP photo opportunity but a legitimate move by the Police against the abuse of drugs in our community.'' But Mr. Burgess defended the Government's action and accused the PLP of double standards.

"They have a habit of going both ways,'' he said.

"The PLP should make up their minds. They cannot complain because the Government hasn't done anything and, when we do something, complain that we're doing something.

"Rather than come along and join us and make sure that the public understand that the Police have both parties' support they would rather stand to the side and sing photo opportunity.

"But while they're singing photo opportunity I'm shouting "second one down'' because we have to get to grips with this menace.'' Police are expected to oversee the destruction of another eight houses in the coming weeks.