a United Nations drugs conference yesterday -- the day the meeting was due to start.

Mr. Coxall was meant to attend the United Nations Drug Control Programme, in Havana, Cuba, set up to include Police and Drug Enforcement Agency chiefs from the Caribbean and South and North America.

The conference was due to start yesterday, but instead of taking up his allotted seat Mr. Coxall was back in Bermuda, preparing to return to work today.

It is understood his travel documents were not in order when he arrived in Cuba. No-one from the Police Service could yesterday say who was responsible for preparing the documents and it is not known how much the trip cost.

Yesterday, Bermuda Police Service spokesman Insp. Roseanda Jones, said: "We can confirm that Mr. Coxall is on the Island and that he will be back in his office on Tuesday.'' It is expected that Mr. Coxall will make a statement about the abortive trip today.

Before he left, a Police statement said: "The Commissioner considers drug enforcement, which is addressed in the Service Strategy of the Bermuda Police, to be of prime importance and it is hoped the knowledge gained from the conference may be usefully employed locally in the fight against crime.''