Premier Paula Cox yesterday confirmed she has not retained the bodyguards that were a prominent feature of her predecessor Ewart Brown's regime.

Ms Cox also said she does not engage police escorts, while underlining that an audit of contracts is being carried out to ensure no consultancies are being inadvertently continued.

The Premier has repeatedly stated she wants to trim unnecessary spending to make savings of $150 million in her first year in office.

Dr Brown was accused of trying to look important by insisting on travelling with personal bodyguards at home and overseas at the taxpayers' expense.

He claimed the Police Service had advised him he needed bodyguards; Ms Cox did not comment yesterday when asked whether Police had told her she needed bodyguards; Alex Scott, the Premier before Dr Brown, did not have bodyguards; neither did any leader of a British territory in the Caribbean before Dr Brown, other than Michael Misick in Turks and Caicos.

During 2008/09, taxpayers paid to send bodyguards with Dr Brown to events including the Bayou Classic American football "bowl" match; an Oprah Winfrey event in New York; Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, DC; and a New York Mets promotion.

Giving an update on appointments under Ms Cox's administration, press secretary Beverle Lottimore said yesterday: "The Premier has retained no bodyguards nor does she engage police escorts. The Premier has been issued a driver."

She repeated that Senator David Burt is the new Chief of Staff and Scott Simmons Press Attache, responsible for political media relations. Marc Bean's contract as a consultant to Cabinet has already been terminated.

Dr Brown's administrative assistant Dornell Trott will leave at the end of December, to be replaced by Valeria Burgess-Tucker, a retired civil servant of more than 30 years' service.

Ms Lottimore added: "Premier Cox has previously stated that all consultancies will be reviewed. An audit of contracts is in the process of being arranged so that none are inadvertently continued that should be terminated."