Bermuda Public Services Union leader Ed Ball has called for a top level probe into the Department of Public Prosecutions after a senior lawyer quit just two days into the job.

Principal Crown Counsel Nicholas Harrison, an experienced prosecutor from Australia, began work on Monday as number two in the department but resigned on Wednesday.

He is the second Australian appointee to leave after just two days at the DPPs office. Roger Kimbell headed back home after just 48 hours in January 2006 citing "personal reasons".

One Government source said experienced Crown Counsel were being scared off by immediately having huge workloads dumped on them with no time to prepare or get to know Police and the court system.

It's understood Mr. Harrison was due to begin a Supreme Court drugs trial on Monday. His shock departure is one of many resignations from the DPP this year. The reason for Mr. Harrison quitting his $143,522 position has yet to be made public.

Yesterday Mr. Ball said: "It has to be disconcerting in that we have two senior barristers come for jobs in the DPP's office and they have not lasted.

"Equally it makes it extremely difficult to attract young Bermudians to go into Chambers.

"We need Government House, the Attorney General and senior civil servants within Cabinet office to put their heads together and find out the root causes and address the matter as aggressively and expeditiously as possible."

He said the DPP's office needed to be on its game to ensure justice was served but he said it had lost credibility in the eyes of the public and it needed to be restored.

Three members of the DPP's staff have already approached the independent Government Ombudsman with concerns about the way the department is run.

However Head of the Civil Service Kenneth Dill said he had met with Director of Public Prosecutions Vinette Graham-Allen and didn't see the need for any further investigation into the department.

Maj. Dill would not say why Mr. Harrison had resigned ? nor would he say whether he had gone for personal reasons or quit over professional differences.

"I am satisfied the resignation was at the behest of the incumbent. He indicated he deeply regretted his decision to resign."

However Maj. Dill said he had not spoken to Mr. Harrison personally.

Asked if he was concerned about short-staffing in the prosecutions department Maj. Dill said: "Sure. We discussed that in detail. The DPP has a plan to address it as soon as possible."

Probed about when new staff might be joining Maj. Dill said: "We have a plan. We will be advertising very shortly ? locally in the first instance.

"We have a plan to hopefully attract suitably qualified Bermudians."