withdrawn after staff threatened to go on strike if he was appointed, it was claimed yesterday.

Now former senior Police officer Mr. Bain -- who has already quit his job as executive officer of the UBP -- is said to be out in the cold.

And, according to a hotel worker, Elbow Beach Hotel is set to give the post of head of security to Takbir Sharif, who already works in a non-supervisory security role at the Paget holiday spot.

A woman staff member -- who asked not to be named -- said hotel staff had met earlier this week.

She said: "We made it known to the manager that we intended to walk out if Mr. Bain was hired. We feel Takbir Sharif is more than qualified.'' It is understood that hotel workers disapproved of Mr. Bain's connection to the former Government.

And staff -- illegally under human rights legislation -- insisted Mr. Sharif, born in Bermuda, should take precedence over Mr. Bain, originally from the Caribbean, but who is believed to have held Bermuda status for more than 20 years.

The woman -- echoing the election campaign theme of the PLP -- said: "Staff are willing to walk out.

"This is a new Bermuda and we have got to look after our own.'' Mr. Sharif -- formerly known as Gary Perinchief and also an ex-cop -- is the brother of new PLP MP Wayne Perinchief.

Bain left out in the cold Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Human Rights Commission said: "A Bermudian is a Bermudian whether they have status or they were born here.

"It certainly would be against the law because a Bermudian is a Bermudian -- there is no difference between the two parties.'' When contacted by The Royal Gazette , Mr. Bain refused to make any comment and hung up the phone.

Elbow Beach chief Bill Shoaf denied there were problems with staff at the hotel.

He said: "Mr. Bain applied for the job as did Mr. Sharif, but up to this point no-one has been formally given the job.'' Mr. Shoaf added that the hotel's budget for next year was currently being prepared and no decision on the job would be made until the financial plan was firmed up.

He said: "As far as I know, there is no staff unease. It's probably just one person with too much time on their hands and not enough to do.

"Both of these gentlemen are in the process of being interviewed -- separately, they made recommendations on security, both involved substantial changes in security and that requires money.'' APPOINTMENT APP