officer on Thursday.

Mr. Bain joins the UBP from the Police, where he recently retired after 25 years as an Inspector. Mr. Bain spent the last 20 years in Special Branch.

The Royal Gazette reported in December that Mr. Bain was tipped for the party's administration, branch development and communications post. He takes office on Wednesday, succeeding Mrs. Kathryn Gibbons, who held the post for less than one year.

A leading Bermuda senior tennis player, Mr. Bain has also captained the Police cricket team since arriving in Bermuda from Grenada. He now umpires. Insp.

Bain's wife, Mrs. Sandra Bain, is vice-chairman of the National Drug Commission.

In his Police job, he has played a key security role for the Royal Visit last March and numerous other visits by VIPs.

UBP chairman Sen. Gary Pitman "indicated that Mr. Bain's intimate knowledge of the community would greatly enhance the party's efforts at the grassroots level,'' the party said.

Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade said he normally did not comment on UBP appointments, but it was "extraordinary'' to have a Police officer leave Special Branch to take such a post.

Mr. Wade said Special Branch is "the political wing of the Police force, which investigates and keeps tabs on Bermuda's political people and its leaders''.

"He must have access to all kinds of personal information about people,'' Mr.

Wade said.

But as a retired Police officer, Mr. Bain was entitled to any job he chose.

`He's the kind of gentleman who will be able to keep his secrets that he learned in the Police to himself and not use that information in a political kind of way,'' he said.

His appointment "does not bother me''.