boat with an armed and hostile crew and carried out a major search-and-rescue operation after an incident which left several people missing at sea.

But officers in the Bermuda Marine Police are delighted -- and came through the dramas with flying colours.

For all the incidents were staged as part of a massive training exercise by highly-skilled Canadian Coastguard-trained personnel designed to boost the effectiveness of the section -- and get the most out of the blue water Blue Heron .

Ch. Insp. Jonathan Smith, in charge of training for the Police, admitted recruiting the four instructors took a big bite out of the training budget.

But he said: "There have been significant gains on two counts -- the guys delivering the service have clearly benefited.

"And the service to the community will improve because we will have a more efficient search-and-rescue ability.'' Ch. Insp. Smith was speaking yesterday, just after the end of a major exercise involving a boat lost at sea.

Four Police boats took part with flying support from Bermuda Helicopters and the Marine and Ports pilot boats St. David and St. George .

The Blue Heron was guided by the helicopter to where a `survivor' floated in a lifejacket and crew members pulled him on board.

Marine Police pass test with flying colours Ch. Insp. Smith said: "At the end of this exercise the company which delivered the training will be providing us with a full debrief and an assessment which will help enhance our capability.'' The course covered chart work, navigation and basic seamanship, as well as practical exercises involving other branches of the force and Customs officers.

Ch. Insp. Smith said: "Taking just the day-to-day functioning of the section -- dealing with inshore incidents, assisting members of the public -- the service will be vastly improved.

"Officers were being transferred into the section who had an interest and may have had a sea class licence -- but those skills weren't really being enhanced by any specific course.'' Ch. Insp. Smith confirmed officers had boarded a `hostile' vessel in an exercise which brought together sea-going cops, drugs squad officers and armed officers, as well as Customs officers.

He said: "Part of the course involved enforcement techniques and that type of work. If you look back at the history of the Blue Heron being brought to Bermuda, it does give us the ability to expand our drugs interdiction capabilities.

"The scenario practiced is one which hopefully will not arise too often -- however, it's a scenario we have to be capable of handling. But that was a very small part of the whole course.'' And Ch. Insp. Smith said: "It's been expensive -- but it's been good value for money.

"I couldn't have sent one officer away on a course for the average cost per officer. And there was also an advantage in doing the training in our local waters.''