Frustrated senior Customs officers are up in arms over moves to shake up their department, The Royal Gazette has been told.

They are said to be afraid someone outside Customs could be brought in to fill a management post.

According to one officer, the position was "totally unnecessary'' for a department with a staff of under 150. And he claimed the current Principal Customs Officers were sufficiently trained to fill any vacancies.

But yesterday a Government spokesman said the fears about moves to reorganise Customs were unjustified.

"I think this is a case of someone pressing the panic button long before there is any need for panic.'' He pointed out Customs was being reviewed by two Government departments -- Management and Personnel Services.

"As part of this study, various models for reorganisation of work are being looked at. Those doing the study are now in the process of consulting with senior members of the Customs service.'' Collector of Customs Mr. Gerry Ardis said he strongly backed the review, and was unaware of concerns over it.

The Royal Gazette heard about problems said to be plaguing the department through a leaked letter from a Principal Customs Officer to colleagues, who met earlier this month to discuss the review.

"It is of paramount importance that we, as Principal Customs Officers, speak with one voice on this very important and potentially highly emotive subject,'' the letter stated. It added Customs was wracked by serious personnel problems, and senior officers should not be held as scapegoats. The present Customs chiefs should be held responsible for any defects in the system.

The letter also stated any vacancies stemming from a shake-up should be filled by current employees, and it was counter productive to bring in someone from outside -- albeit from within the public service.

The position -- Manager of Finance and Administration -- is described as "inflated and totally unnecessary''.

"We strongly feel, that there are among us, a choice of individuals who are qualified, by reason of experien, knowledge and skills to take this department into the 21st century.'' The letter continued: "We believe it is incumbent on us, as principal Customs officers, to create a clear and unambiguous career path for our junior officers, so that they will not be as frustrated as we are now, in the years ahead.

"We feel strongly that they would want us to vociferously oppose the proposed organisation structure.

"We believe that the vacant Assistant Collector's post should be filled and given the responsibility of the proposed Manager of Finance and Administration which, we feel, should be limited to finance, human resource development, training, personnel matters and information systems.'' The Government spokesman said: "The letter appears to have arisen out of a meeting during which three alternative ideas were outlined to Principal Customs Officers.

"These officers were asked to study these ideas and meet again with the Management Services officer concerned. They have not done this, but appear to have assumed that one of these ideas is going to be put into effect.

"This is not correct. The study has not even been put together in written form, far less accepted by those concerned. It is a shame these officers should have turned the process of consultation, as part of which they were given an opportunity to affect the outcome of the study, into an excuse for a public airing of their disapproval of what amounts to be no more than an idea.'' Mr. Ardis said he believed hiring a Manager of Finance and Administration was one option being considered under the review.

"It's an objective review, and I think the result will be put out in a couple of months time.'' The review, like any other one of a Government department, would look at manning, accountability, personnel, the responsibility of supervisors and organisation, he added.

Mr. Edward Ball Jr., assistant to the General Secretary of the Bermuda Public Services Association, said: "We are aware of the review, but until we've received the report there is nothing I can say.''