he named Mr. Colin Coxall as theforce's new Commissioner.

"It is now time to stop debating what might have been and look to the future,'' said the Governor as he announced the Deputy Commissioner of the City of London Police had been chosen to head the Bermuda force for three years.

Mr. Coxall "has a wide range of expertise in the most modern administration, management, and policing techniques, and is ideally qualified to see that the Bermuda Police Service provides efficient policing responsive to the needs of the whole community,'' Lord Waddington said.

Since 1989, Mr. Coxall has served as Assistant Commissioner of the City of London Police, a post equivalent to Deputy Commissioner in Bermuda, Government said. The force is more than twice the size of Bermuda's, having 930 Police officers, 400 civilians, and a budget of 60 million.

The appointment came more swiftly than expected, only hours after the Progressive Labour Party announced that 300 Bermudians a day were signing a petition opposing the hiring of Bermuda's two top officers from overseas.

"I said from the beginning that the Governor and Government were going to rush to make the appointment before the House resumes (on February 3), to forestall any further protest,'' said Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade.

"But we intend to persist with the petition. We have over 3,000 names now and we intend to continue it until we get at least 5,000, which should be very shortly.'' While Lord Waddington said he was sure "everyone will now support Mr. Coxall in his endeavours,'' Mr. Wade said he expected Bermudians would greet the new Commissioner "with a great deal of coolness and disgust.'' "Bermudians have demonstrated support for their local Police force and support for those at the top who they consider to be skilled and trained sufficiently to carry out the task of the Commissioner of Police,'' he said.

Mr. Coxall, 55, is already on the Island and will be in his post "by March,'' and a Deputy Commissioner is to be named "in the near future,'' Lord Waddington said.

The new Commissioner will be presented to the Press at Government House today.

Government has said the decision to hire a British Commissioner for three years and Deputy Commissioner for two was forced by the imminent retirements of Bermudian Commissioner Mr. Lennett (Lennie) Edwards and Deputy Commissioner Mr. Alex Forbes.

"It is regrettable that on the announcement of Mr. Edwards' retirement there was no Bermudian officer ready and fully equipped to assume right now the responsibilities of Commissioner,'' the Governor said. "We must try and make sure this does not happen again.'' The Progressive Labour Party and others in the community have argued the top Police post should have gone to one of two Bermudian Assistant Commissioners -- Mr. Wayne Perinchief of Mr. Harold Moniz.

With an Honours Degree in Law from King's College at the University of London, Mr. Coxall received the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished service in 1993.

Born in Surrey, he began his career in 1959 with the Metropolitan Police, which he left as Detective Chief Superintendent in 1985. He has also served as Assistant Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and as Assistant Inspector of Constabulary at the Home Office.

In his latest post with the City of London, Mr. Coxall had major responsibility for anti-terrorism, dealt with all discipline and complaints against Police, and handled media relations and public speaking. According to his resume, he recently completed "a review of the force to improve its structure, organisation and management.'' While with the Metropolitan Police, he led major crime inquiries in Britain, the United States, Canada, and Europe for New Scotland Yard.

Mr. Wade said Opposition MPs and other volunteers would be circulating the petition opposing the Police appointments in Hamilton today from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The Island's AME ministers agreed to circulate the petition in their churches last Sunday, he said.