Tourism Minister Renee Webb has come in for vicious criticism after first holding up a charter flight from Jamaica for an hour - and then allegedly pushing to the front of the queue to pay her Customs duty on arrival back in Bermuda.

People on board the charter flight organised by C Travel on Saturday said they were furious after being forced to wait on the tarmac at Montego Bay for 60 minutes in 90 degree temperatures because Ms Webb was late.

Ms Webb had been on vacation in Cuba with her daughter and niece and was connecting in Jamaica for the return flight home.

But passengers said when the Minister did eventually make it on to the plane, she barely apologised and maintained that it was not her fault.

As she boarded, some people sarcastically cheered, and others booed.

But one traveller said he believed the Minister had shown the height of arrogance when everyone arrived back in Bermuda and made their way into the terminal building.

Julian Rose, from Smith's Parish, said: "Once in Bermuda, 165 people queued up at Immigration with their passports and watched in disbelief as the Minister walked to the right side of Immigration and was escorted through, and then jumped the small line of people paying (Customs) duty.

"One question we all asked ourselves was 'would they have held the plane for us, and what's wrong with queuing up with the normal folk while on holiday?"

Mr. Rose said although all plane tickets showed the flight as leaving at 4 p.m. from Montego Bay, everyone on the outward journey, including Ms Webb, had been forewarned that the flight would be leaving earlier - at 2 p.m.

He added: "165 people managed to make it back to Montego Bay on time for the flight back to Bermuda, all except our Tourism Minister Ms Webb. I guess being a Government Minister, you don't have to listen.

"I was saddened to find that the arrogance of Government Ministers in day to day life continues over into their personal lives."

But another passenger, who did not wish to be named, said it was Ms Webb's attitude when she got on the plane that really upset people.

She said the Minister claimed her ticket said 4 p.m., and she said Ms Webb had claimed that she had also called the airport and been told that the plane was leaving at 4 p.m., inferring the delay was not her fault.

However, the passenger said C Travel had repeatedly told everyone that the flight was leaving at 2 p.m. and had even handed out an itinerary stating that the flight would depart at 2 p.m.

The woman said: "I don't see how an entire plane load of people got the message right except for Renee Webb.

"How could she be the only one to get it wrong? And when she came on to the plane, you would think that anyone who had an ounce of diplomacy would say they were really, really sorry and they realised there was a lot of young children on board, and they appreciated that the plane had been held back. But she didn't do that.

"She came on the plane and she was almost indignant."

The woman said there was a huge number of young children on the flight, including young babies, and by the time the Minister arrived, everyone was cranky and red-faced with the heat.

One man had even had to take his child outside for some air.

But the annoyed woman said to make matters worse, when the plane finally arrived in Bermuda, the Minister was off the plane and gone before anyone else, leaving people fuming.

"All I know is that I didn't see her at Immigration or Customs, and we were by no means the last people off," said the passenger. "People at the airport were so mad that she had held everyone up for at least an hour and then was first off and away.

"It was just so arrogant and so disrespectful to everyone else who had spent an hour waiting.

"You wouldn't believe how mad people were in the baggage hall. They were shouting that they didn't care who she was - what she had done was wrong."

Last night Minister Webb refused to comment on the story, said she would not talk to The Royal Gazette, and then hung up.