The Bermuda Regiment is awaiting Government approval to join post-Ivan recovery efforts in the hurricane devastated Cayman Islands.

And Bermuda Police Service officers who flew down to assist the Cayman Police are now expected to return to Bermuda next Friday.

Islanders are still without power and must queue for food and water more than a week after the massive hurricane swept through the Islands with tornado-like winds and high storm surge.

Major Brian Gonsalves, second in the command of the Bermuda Regiment, told a reconnaissance team will return to the Island today with information about how local troops can assist the Cayman Government with relief efforts.

Last week a team of three senior members of the Bermuda Regiment went to the Cayman Islands to make an on the ground assessment of what could be done to repair their basic infrastructure.

Major Gonsalves said 25 to 35 volunteers would be made available for the task, and would transport whatever necessary items they could with them including trucks, chainsaws shovels and water ? a commodity which is in scarce supply.

The Regiment is now awaiting final approval The Regiment is now awaiting final approval from the Governor.

?We are ready to deploy and are awaiting the Governor?s order,? said Major Gonsalves. ?The problem of looting appears to have dissipated ? what we are really interested in doing at the moment is getting the Island up and running.?

He said information gathered by the reconnaissance team shows that Government buildings and schools are in need of extensive repair work. Homes across the Caymans have also been devastated, with overseas news reports estimating that up to 80 percent of buildings are uninhabitable.

According to a Government press release sent out this week, employers are encouraged to extend special consideration to any employee who is a soldier in the Bermuda Regiment and wishes to volunteer for relief service in the Cayman Islands.

Major Gonsalves also made a plea to employers to be understanding.

?This is a matter of widespread devastation ? people were struggling to get away from the 20 foot storm surge huddling in their attics and roofs ? now it?s up to us to get there and clear the roads and help them to recover.?

The 11 Police Officers in the Cayman Islands are continuing to help enforce the law with local officers and are expected back in Bermuda next Friday.

Carla DeSilva, the wife of Chief Inspector Michael DeSilva, who is leading the team of Police officers, said her husband is working 14 hour nights with other officers from Turks & Caicos and the British Virgin Islands.

She said the overseas officers, who make up to a third of law enforcement officials in the Caymans, were backing up regular Police patrols.

Mrs. DeSilva is in contact with her husband through a cell phone as many of the main lines on the Island have yet to be repaired. She told , the lack of electricity means officers must work during the night to prevent looting.

The officers are also carrying firearms as they go about their duties and are using a Cable & Wireless building as a make-shift headquarters.

?They?ve caught seven people so far trying to steal lumber,? said Mrs. DeSilva. ?Their task is to basically help other officers as a support unit.?

Mrs. DeSilva said the 200 cases of fresh water the Police Officers took with them have run out and they are struggling to find fresh water.

?They?re bathing in the sea and finding places to wash their clothes ? the water issue is horrific but generally doing their bit as best they can,? she added.

?Michael said they?re keeping afloat and the morale is good but the challenge is the heat ? he says it?s stifling. He has talked about the destruction ? it sounds awful ? we all have memories of Fabian, but the destruction in the Caymans has been massive as the islands are quite low lying.?