British Foreign Office mandarins and Governor Lord Waddington last night dismissed claims the UK government were struggling to find a replacement to fill the hot seat at Government House.

Lord Waddington -- who is due to retire early in the New Year -- said last night he had seen the article in London's Sunday Telegraph, which was lifted by ZBM and used as the lead story on evening news last night.

He said: "My understanding is it was carried in a gossipy column, not the main newspaper.

"I don't think there is any truth in it whatsoever -- I understand that the appointment of my successor will be announced in the near future.'' The Sunday Telegraph report used by ZBM claimed several people had been offered the job -- but did not name any of them.

The article speculated that if the British Labour Party win the next UK General Election, due to be held in the summer, they would appoint Lord Roberts, Opposition leader in the House of Lords -- because he has a personality clash with another Labour peer who wants to lead the UK upper house.

Lord Waddington -- a former UK Home Secretary and a Conservative member of the House of Lords -- said: "I know of nobody who has been approached and turned the Governorship down -- and I think I'm quite well connected to what's going on.'' Said a Foreign Office spokeswoman: "It's not the sort of story we would comment on at all -- an appointment will be made in due course.''