FORMER police colleagues have paid tribute to Detective Chief Superintendent Basil Haddrell, the Scotland Yard inspector who co-ordinated the arrests of Erskine (Buck) Burrows and Larry Tacklyn following a series of politically-inspired murders in the 1970s.

Mr. Haddrell died peacefully last month following a battle with cancer.

He is perhaps best remembered as the brave Inspector who helped to wrestle a loaded shotgun away from murder suspect Burrows on the infamous night in October 1973 when the assassin was finally arrested. The arrest followed the most extensive manhunt in Bermuda police history, one sparked by a killing spree that left the Governor, Police Commissioner and three others shot dead.

The suspect Burrows had been in hiding following a series of audacious daylight armed robberies, and had penned a ransom note for the then-Premier Sir Edward Richards, who he planned to kidnap and hold hostage in return for a sum of cash and an aircraft "to Africa".

Mr. Haddrell was one of a small group of Special Branch officers staking out Burrows' rural hide-out off Parsons Road in Pembroke. Mr. Haddrell and his colleagues watched Burrows, who was heavily armed, ride into the nearby Tribe Road on a stolen Mobylette.

Chief Inspector Clive Donald managed to jump out and seize Burrows off the Mobylette, but a struggle ensued that saw the suspect reach for his .32 calibre revolver.

It was Mr. Haddrell, along with Detective Seargent Larry Smith and Detective Seargeant Ian Ganson, who finally managed to get the fully-loaded shotgun away from Burrows. After a lenghty trial period, both Burrows and his co-conspirator Tacklyn were sentenced to death and hanged in 1977.

Mr. Donald, who was with Mr. Haddrell during the Parsons Road ambush and who later served as Commissioner of Police, hailed him as a "very capable detective" and a long-time friend.

"I first met him in 1972 when he came out from Scotland Yard with (Chief Superintendent) Bill Wright. I was in the Criminal Investigation Department at the time. First he came for the murder of the Police Commissioner, George Duckett, then for the murder of the Governor Sir Richard Sharples and his aide-de-camp Captain Hugh Sayers, and again for the murders of Victor Rego and Mark Doe, the supermarket owners.

"He was a very capable detective ¿ always in the front. He certainly assisted the local police a lot. He and I did a lot of work together for the arrest of Buck Burrows. He was there until the very end of the Supreme Court trial."

Mr. Donald remained friends with Mr. Haddrell long after the murders through a shared love of golf.

"We played every Christmas," Mr. Donald said. "He married a local girl (Deborah Gosling) and their son, William, is a golf pro.The last time I spoke to Basil was a few days before he died. He really hadn't changed much at all since the first day I met him."

Another former Police Commissioner, Frederick (Penny) Bean, expressed his condolences on behalf of himself and his former police colleagues.

"He was a really dear friend to Bermuda during the troubling times we had in the 1970s with the murders," he said. "He and Bill Wright played a very important part in bringing those men to justice. They were very professional and Bermuda certainly benefited as a result of their labours. The community in general must share the sadness of his passing. His work was second to none."

Assistant Commissioner of Police Carlton Adams said he considered Mr.Haddrell a "mentor", having watched him at work in the early 1970s, when Mr. Adams himself was a young police officer.

"He was a very driven individual, with lots of enthusiasm for what we were trying to achieve," he said. "He was certainly a mentor to me.

"I had lunch with him in December and we had a great laugh about old times. Those investigations in the 1970s were long ones. We slogged on quietly, and Basil made regular visits back to review progress. I learned a lot about serious criminal investigations from him and was able to apply what he taught me to crimes I have faced in the course of my career."

Mr. Adams added that, while a respected professional, Mr. Haddrell was an optimist with a great sense of humour.

"He was full of life, bubbly, and while serious about his work, he saw the funny side of things. That can help when you're in the middle of a hard slog."

Close friend and local actor Gavin Wilson knew Mr. Haddrell for 36 years, since his arrival from Scotland Yard.

"Aside from being an icon in his department, he was a wonderful raconteur ¿ an unbelievable storyteller," Mr. Wilson remembered.

"His stories were all related to his field ¿ you're hearing real live detective stories, only slightly embellished! He was a big guy with an enormous personality. His family must feel so lucky, as all his friends do, to have had him. It's great to go through life knowing a person like Basil."

In his later years, Mr. Haddrell hit the headlines once again in his role as head of security during the construction of the Channel Tunnel from England to France. He is survived by his wife Deborah and his son William.

The family will hold a memorial service on the island next month following last week's London funeral at All Saints' Church in Fulham. Donations to can be sent to: The Royal Marsden NHS Trust, c/o W Sherry & Sons, 227 Acton Lane, W4 5DD, London, England.