Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness was yesterday taken to task by the Bermuda Police Association.

The BPA refuted claims by Mr. Edness that the association agreed to off-duty Policemen working at the US Naval Air Station.

It also declared the association had not agreed to the off-duty officers being paid $16 per hour.

The association -- the Police Service's union -- made the denials in a written statement to The Royal Gazette , signed by vice chairman Mr. Robin Sherwood and secretary Mr. Michael DeSilva.

But yesterday a Government spokesman, speaking for Mr. Edness and the Police, mounted a counter-offensive.

"Mr. Edness made his statement on the basis of information supplied to him by the Police,'' he said.

Mr. Edness, also Public Safety Minister, has found himself embroiled in fresh controversy following a war of words with his Shadow counterpart Mr. Alex Scott.

Mr. Scott had spoken of widespread discontent within the Police Service.

And he claimed morale was far from high among "those officers that are performing extra-duty at the Baselands for a scale that is way below the established pay rate.'' In a hard-hitting reply, Mr. Edness said Police went on duty at the US Naval Air Station for one month, September 1-October 1, until a civilian security firm could take over.

"The arrangement, which was made and agreed by the Police Association, was that Policemen could work there only in their off-duty hours and only if they volunteered to do so,'' he said.

"They were paid a rate of $16 an hour, or the same as they get as PCs. This scheme ended, as arranged, on October 1.'' But in its statement, the BPA said: "I wish to draw to your attention that the Executive Committee of the Bermuda Police Association (BPA) did not agree to the arrangement of paying off-duty Police officers $16 per hour.

"The executive body of the BPA was not consulted regarding the posting of off-duty officers at the Naval Air Station, St. George's.

"However, the BPA did, in fact, raise various issues of concern in relation to this scheme.'' The statement -- which the association refused to elaborate on -- continued: "The BPA is sure that Mr. Edness may well have been unintentionally misinformed.

"The Executive of the BPA is committed to the welfare of its membership in all areas of modern day Policing.'' The Government spokesman pointed out the Police worked out the plan to take over security at the US Base by appointing BPA head Sgt. Thornton to play a key role.

"They took him off his normal duties to plan the security operation at the Airport.

"He spent many days on this. At no time during the course of this work did he voice any objection on behalf of the BPA and it was assumed in the lack of any complaint that it had the BPA's blessing.

"Whatever the situation was, and you have to find out from Sgt. Thornton why he didn't object, the duty at the USNAS was entirely voluntary.

"No one had to go up there and do duty. It was done in Police officers' spare time, and, in fact, they had more volunteers to do the duty than they needed.

"So it seems to me by popular acclamation in a sense the members of the Force approved of the scheme.''