Narcotics chief Larry Smith has accused Commissioner Jonathan Smith of lacking experience as he hit back at claims senior officers were unaccountable and living in a time warp.

The drugs squad chief said that outburst was "disturbing and juvenile" and that he was unwilling to serve under anyone with less experience than him as he revealed older candidates had been shunted aside in the promotion race.

It is understood the race to replace Jonathan Smith is now a straight fight between Deputy Commissioner George Jackson and Superintendent Roseanda Jones after the interview panel was deadlocked. It is thought the two jetted off last week to the National Police Leadership Centre in Bramshill, England for a tie-breaking assessment.

Two weeks ago Jonathan Smith accused some top officers of flouting the authority of the Police Complaints Authority ? something he said set a poor example to younger recruits.

It drew a response from Government Anti-Drugs Minster Wayne Perinchief who said Jonathan Smith had lacked experience.

Yesterday Superintendant Smith echoed this sentiment. He told "To piggyback on what Mr. Perinchief alluded about Jonathan Smith being appointed too young. That has lots of merit.

"I think Mr. Smith's statement that there's some disrespect of the senior management was disturbing and very juvenile in my opinion because not all senior managers disrespect him.

"But sometimes it's extremely difficult when your leader is so much younger than you, not only in age but in experience, that any difference of opinion is constituted as a challenge to authority.

"It is not so much that senior management disrespect the commissioner, I think he's younger than most of us and if I have an opinion as to how an issue should go and it is different to his opinion then it is misconceived as disrespecting him.

"The Commissioner is very philosophical, he has a very philosophical approach to Policing. I have a very practical approach to Policing.

"If what Mr. Perinchief says has merit ? and it does ? then the successor to the Commissioner is going to be somewhat similar because you have eliminated Mr. (Carlton) Adams, eliminated Mr. (Larry) Smith, eliminated Mr. (Sinclair) White, who would be the most senior of the potential candidates.

"The two candidates are going to be in a similar bracket as the outgoing Commissioner so you don't correct the problem. You are correcting a youngster with a youngster. You still got senior managers, more experience, older and wiser, that is going to be serving under a new Commissioner. Mr. Edwards, the former Commissioner, alluded to bringing in a foreign national. That is not going to solve the problem. The potential is right there in the country. You just have to choose correctly. I applied for it but did not make the shortlist. I have concluded, and that can be public, that I will not serve under any more commissioners who have less experience and less service and ability than myself."

The losers in the promotion race would be the country, said Supt. Smith, who admitted he was due for retirement himself early next year.

Yesterday Government House refused to comment on the latest in the promotion race.

Deputy Governor Nick Carter would only say: "We are making good progress and we are confident of making an announcement before the Commissioner steps down on December 15."