Brandt: Critical of London

New Montserrat Leader Calls for More Aid

Mr Brandt said the current level of assistance of around £2,500 had been set arbitrarily. He added that the government should find out the true cost of living in the countries in which Montserratians were being relocated.

The last chief minister of Montserrat, Bertrand Osborne, resigned amid criticism of his handling of the crisis.

Mr Osborne has come under severe criticism from politicians and demonstrators alike for being too pro-British, and for failing to negotiate firmly enough with the Government over an aid package.

Angry people in one northern town, Salem, threw missiles and drew knives and machetes. They considered the compensation package to relocate Montserratians - made homeless by the eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano - derisory.

Police in riot gear intervened and detained four people during the disturbance. They were later released on condition that they clear Salem's main street of the debris of rocks and bottles.

Meanwhile, the Governor, Frank Savage, warned that more money would be needed to help people fleeing the island.

Police try to restore order

People Reject Britain's Offer

People will get their fares and grants amounting to six months' average wages to help them relocate to Britain or elsewhere in the Caribbean. At less than £2,500 per adult, the offer was met with derision.

Marsha Punter, a local businesswoman, told BBC News of the feeling of disgust among Montserratians: "We were hoping for fair treatment, not to be treated like rubbish. We have our homes here, we have our businesses here - and they're talking about leaving all that and going off for a couple of thousand pounds? That's crazy."

Tense confrontation in Salem

Ms Short defended the amount of money on offer, claiming that it was "a great deal of money" in comparison to how much a family affected by a flood in her own constituency would get. She added that taken as a whole the package was very good.

She also criticised the government in Montserrat. She said that she had been in favour of giving Montserratians the freedom to choose between staying and evacuation, but that the democratically elected Government of the island had decided its people should stay.

"There hasn't been any delay on our part. Prior to the 16th August - when the scientific evidence changed and we had to get people out of the centre of the island - the government of Montserrat wanted everything that Britain was doing to be directed to developing the north of the island and didn't want us to assist anyone to leave," she said.

Ms Short added: "My own view was that the people of Montserrat should have had choices given what was happening to their island - their own government thought not. I understand that people are disgruntled, but we have acted very quickly."

Short: critical of Montserrat government

Officials had expected 3,500 Monserratians to opt to leave the island. Now, with the prospect of Mr Brandt's efforts to renegotiate a deal, and the present docility of the volcano, it is thought that many people will stay on in the hope of a better financial result.

Montserrat's new leader, David Brandt, tells the BBC the north of the island should be developed
Dur: 3'20"

The evacuation of Montserrat, which is threatened by more volcanic eruptions, is under way and is entirely voluntary. But Montserrat's elected leaders had asked for four times the amount of aid Britain is offering.

Eugene Skerritt, Secretary to the Chief Minister of Montserrat, told the BBC he shared peoples' anger. "It's not just a question of money," he said, "but it's an issue of national identity. People want respect. They deserve respect of politicians. There are those who don't seem to understand the great effect that turmoil and stress has had during the two years of the volcanic crisis."

HMS Liverpool: centre of operations

"The compensation amounts to £10.5 million. Then you have to add the cost of benefits in Britain. We will also be contributing to the costs incurred by the Antiguan government, such as pressure on schools and hospitals. Taken as a whole, this package is very generous," he said.

The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Liverpool is co-ordinating the evacuation of residents to the nearby islands of Antigua and Guadeloupe by ferry.

But the Foreign Office says that the number of islanders deciding to go is small. A spokesman said: "It is an orderly evacuation and people are not leaving in huge numbers."

But both Antigua and Barbuda have already warned they will not be able to cope with a new influx of refugees.

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