A delegation of US politicians and workers from New York's `Ground Zero' used Bermuda as a stop-off en route to an aircraft carrier to do a TV show.

Congressmen including Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and Senator George Allen accompanied two firemen, one port authority worker and one New York City policeman out to the USS Theodore Roosevelt after a lunchtime stop-over to change planes yesterday.

They will appear on NBC Today with Matt Lauer this morning aboard the aircraft carrier which has been carrying the ground zero flag during operations near Afghanistan.

US Consul Jennifer Schools said the ship was returning from its tour of duty.

She said: "We are at war and this honours the police and firemen who were on the scene for the start of this war."