Claims that this week's customs sick-out did not affect services have been hotly contested by courier firms who are now struggling to clear a huge backlog.

During the sick out, which ended yesterday, Customs allowed documents to be released but packages had to stay put.

Fedex country manager Chris Heslop said: "Obviously we have a two day backlog. There are ten containers with packages.

"They did make it clear if we were able to identify an emergency shipment for health reasons they would help get it out. Apart from that nothing else moved.

Yesterday Collector of Customs Winifred Fostine-DeSilva said the Assistant Collector had told her there had been problems with a Fedex shipment arriving in Bermuda with only a portion arriving.

She said: "The only delays were goods coming on the 20th were cleared on the 21st while goods arriving on 21st were cleared on the 22nd.

"There were no undue delays as far as we can tell. Emergency goods were also delivered.

"All cargo arrive this week was cleared by 11 a.m. this morning."

However Mr. Heslop said his Fedex packages arrived on the same plane as other courier firms.

And other firms said they had experienced problems.

DHL country manager Norman Cotterill said: "It's created a bulge in our processing shed. We will have it cleared by the end of the day."

And Gordon Bussell, the financial controller for International Parcel Bonded Couriers, the agents for UPS, said his staff were hoping to clear the backlog yesterday.

Fedex customer Declan Harris rang The Royal Gazette to complain about misleading statements from customs during the dispute in which 18 staff stayed away Tuesday and Wednesday in protest about race relations and promotions at customs.

He said: "They said the service was not disrupted. That is totally inaccurate."

Mr. Harris said the package he was waiting for had arrived on Monday but he was still waiting for it.

"It doesn't look as if I will get it even by tomorrow."

Mr. Harris said Fedex staff had been helpful but were bearing the brunt of the public's anger because of the dispute in customs.

And one courier boss said customs staff had been available to clear the packages but had refused.

He said: "They had staff to do it. They just wanted to make a point."

He said firms should have been warned about the action so they could re-deploy staff rather than have them hang about doing nothing.