Isles of Scilly MP has said that islanders will not be happy that ?100,000 a month hotel bills are being generated by South West customs officers contraversially relocated to the South East.

He said: “I think local people, particularly in West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly where customs officers have been effectively withdrawn, will find this very hard to take.”

“They will find it hard to understand why they are being abandoned at the same time when hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers money are being spent on propping up this mobile service.”

“By withdrawing customs officers we are effectively waving a white flag to drug smugglers and others.”

The investigation was conducted by the Western Morning News.

Last year Customs and Excise announced that frontline customs officers in the Westcountry would be used in “mobile” teams to cover ports and airports in the South East. The Isles of Scilly lost its service.

The customs post on Scilly had been around for 300 years before it was closed. At the time islanders were angry about the move because of the fears that it would encourage drugs. 500 people on Scilly signed a petition to try and save the position but custom chiefs felt the duties could be carried out more effectively by concentrating staff on the mainland.

The Western Morning News now claims that nearly ?400,000 has been spent on accommodation for officers who spend 12 nights a month away from their homes.

David Millar, South West regional officer for the Public and Commercial Services Union told the newspaper the expenditure was “ludicrously wasteful”.

“We’d much rather the money was spent on officers and their salaries than lining the pockets of hotel owners,” he added. “The effect of this mobile team policy and the way it operates has been to harm the lives of officers and force them out of their previous jobs.”

Other South West MP?s agree with Mr George. South West Devon Conservative MP Gary Streeter said: “At a time when the issue of people coming through our ports and airports has never been more sensitive, whether they be illegal immigrants, drug smugglers or terrorists, this just seems crazy.