Four Bermudian Policemen who thought qualifying to go to Atlanta for the Olympics as security officers would be the highlight of their careers said the "experience has been totally horrific''.

Carl Neblett, who along with Vaughan Williams, Hayden Small and Wayne Gaskin, make up Bermuda's contingent in the first international security force ever put together for an Olympics.

"It has been completely disappointing considering the invitation to what amounted to be one of the best gatherings of a peace keeping force ever -- and at the Centennial Olympics,'' he said.

The security force was made up of Police officers from 167 countries with most officers paying their own way to Atlanta and using up vacation time from work for the experience.

Of the 2,248 original security volunteers, 306 have quit, said A.D. Frazier, chief operating officer of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG).

But P.c. Neblett said he estimated almost a third left within a week of their July 3 arrival and went to spend their vacation elsewhere.

"As in any undertaking, the expectations of those who arrive in some cases are met -- in some cases met handsomely -- and some others were not met,'' Mr.

Frazier added.

P.c. Neblett -- who works with the Traffic Department at Prospect -- added: "It has been one disappointment after another.

"All the promises made to every officer here have been broken -- day after day after day.'' he continued.

Problems appeared after officers arrived, said P.c. Neblett, when they were turfed out of their expected accommodation at the Olympic Village and put up in dormitories at Morehouse College -- in one of the cities roughest areas.

"Officer have been attacked, stoned and there was a drive-by on two Swiss volunteers who left the next day,'' said P.c. Neblett.

He said officers were now travelling in numbers whenever they left the dormitories so they would not be attacked.

"The living conditions, transportation and meals are all terrible,'' said P.c Neblett.

Tickets to events -- which were promised to officers when they signed up -- are yet to materialise, continued P.c. Neblett.

"It is an abuse of all the officers' good nature -- some have had to pay almost $5,000 for airline tickets just to get here,'' he said.

He said the entire event was disorganised from the start and he pointed the finger of blame directly at ACOG.

He said the group did not care about what was happening with the security people.

When asked about the bombing at Atlanta's Centennial Park, P.c. Neblett said officers on the whole were not surprised when it happened.

"From day one we were waiting for something to go wrong because there was no system or organisation in place whatsoever.'' Policemen have a bad Olympics But he and the officers had been affected by the incident.

P.c. Neblett said the only good thing about the entire trip was that the four Bermudian officers had landed supervisory roles as the organisers had clearly seen their ability.

And he commended the State Olympic Law Enforcement Group (SOLEC) who had been behind the officers "100 percent'' and had helped hold them together.