Commissioner of Police Colin Coxall, the following is a chronology of the events and statements which led up to and followed Mr. Coxall stepping down from his position.

Tuesday, August 5: Labour and Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness reveals that Police Commissioner Colin Coxall could be asked to stay on after his official contract expiry date in March next year.

Mr. Edness said: "Nothing has been put in place and no decision has been made, but we have to be concerned about the future of the service when Mr.

Coxall leaves or should he leave.

"Everybody recognises Mr. Coxall has done a very good job and whether or not he will be asked to stay is still an option we have.'' Wednesday, August 20: Mr. Coxall meets with Mr. Edness and Permanent Secretary John Drinkwater at the Monte Carlo Restaurant. Mr. Edness departs the restaurant suddenly and apparently tells the Premier and the Governor that Mr.

Coxall must go or he would resign from the Cabinet.

Saturday, August 30: The Royal Gazette exclusively reveals that Mr. Coxall has handed in his resignation. Mr. Coxall declined to comment on the reasons for his shock move -- but sources insist the move came after a series of clashes with Government.

Wednesday, September 3: Mr. Coxall's letter of resignation is released by Governor Thorold Masefield, who is responsible for the policing of the Island.

The Commissioner said he had acted to "end the public speculation as to whether or not I would accept an extension of my contract, if one was offered''.

Mr. Edness said that the reasons for the resignation "might be fairly complex, but only he can say why''.

He added that he had always been Mr. Coxall's "greatest defender'' and said that the progress of the force under the Englishman had been "nothing short of remarkable''.

On the same day, The Royal Gazette revealed a secret follow-up report to the 1994 report by Lionel Grundy, Her Majesty's Inspector of Dependent Territories Police Forces. The report heaped praise on Mr. Coxall's work in Bermuda and warned that it could take up to ten years to prepare a Bermudian officer for the role of Commissioner.

Mr. Grundy also cautioned against promoting a Bermudian to the top job for the sake of expediency as unfair to the officer and detrimental to the force.

Monday, September 22: Mr. Edness said part of the deal when Mr. Coxall was appointed was that he draw up a succession plan to identify Bermudian Police officers as candidates for the two top jobs.

He hit back after Mr. Coxall was quoted as saying that his employment contract did not specify he had to be succeeded by a Bermudian.

Mr. Edness said that it had been envisaged a plan would have been produced in "the early stages'' of Mr. Coxall's three-year contract.

He added: "Needless to say, both Government and the senior officers in the Bermuda Police -- and indeed the Governor -- are very disappointed over this delay.'' During June, Mr. Coxall had made a major presentation at Government House for the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Premier and Mr. Edness on the future of the Police Service and the options for promotion within the service.

Saturday, October 25: Mr. Edness again went on the offensive, saying Mr.

Coxall had "more than enough time'' to prepare a succession plan -- and added he was "disappointed'' that it had not been done.

And Mr. Edness -- while acknowledging Mr. Coxall's contribution -- said the job could not have been done without the support of existing senior officers.

He added: "Many of the ideas were put forward by them and they have never been given credit. He could not have done it without them or the full support of the Government.'' And Mr. Edness flatly denied that Mr. Coxall had resigned due to the so-called Pearman affair, when Environment Minister Irving Pearman was caught up during June in the drugs-busting Operation Cleansweep. Mr. Edness speculated that Mr.

Coxall's resignation could have been due to a hate campaign orchestrated by the Opposition Progressive Labour Party and led by Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Alex Scott.

Mr. Edness said: "It's true from time to time he felt pressure from hammering he was getting from the Progressive Labour Party... .It was a factor. But I don't know the exact reason.'' Wednesday, November 5: Mr. Coxall's wife Shirley told the The Royal Gazette : "The really strange thing was that, during the weeks immediately before the crisis, both the Minister and the Governor had been begging him to stay on and serve a second term. I remember one occasion in particular, a function at Camden, when the Minister spent most of the evening trying to persuade me to persuade Colin to agree to stay on.'' Thursday, November 6: Governor Thorold Masefield denied that Mr. Coxall's resignation was linked to Operation Cleansweep and Environment Minister Mr.

Pearman. And Mr. Masefield dismissed calls for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the affair.

Saturday, November 8: Mr. Edness tells the House of Assembly on the first day of the new session that he had told Premier Pamela Gordon and the Governor that he could not work with Mr. Coxall -- and that he would quit if Mr. Coxall remained.

Mr. Edness said the two clashed over the succession plan, which caused a crisis of confidence in Mr. Coxall. He said the Commissioner had agreed to draw up a training plan using a UK model modified for Island needs.

He added: "Finally, at a meeting several weeks ago, in a manner which I considered disrespectful in the extreme, he flatly refused to produce the plan as previously agreed.

"I immediately informed the Premier that in the circumstances, the Government could no longer have any confidence in Mr. Coxall and that I could not continue in my present portfolio while he remained Commissioner of Police.'' Monday, November 10: Deputy Governor Peter Willis revealed that a "long-term erosion'' in the relationship between Mr. Coxall and Government, especially Mr. Edness, had taken place.

Mr. Willis said the Governor had not had to make a choice between Mr. Coxall and Mr. Edness.

He added: "The fact was that the Commissioner had lost the confidence of the Government. It was a matter about which the Commissioner had previously expressed concern. In those circumstances, Mr. Coxall resigned.'' Editorial: Page 4 Quinton Edness