THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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ST JOHN'S, Antigua - Antigua has dismissed its police chief as the Caribbean island struggles with a spike in violence, including the high-profile slaying of two British honeymooners.

Police Commissioner Gary Nelson said Friday he was relieved of his duties. Police consultant Alphonse Breau declined to comment, and Justice Minister Colin Derrick did not return calls.

Nelson was one of four Canadians appointed to the top four police positions in February to modernize the department and fight an increase in crime. Three of them have left before their contract expired.

But Nelson angrily vowed on Friday to show up for work next week, saying he had packed his belongings but then changed his mind about leaving because his superiors did not give a reason for his firing.

"I am not going to go lightly," he said. "I'm not going to allow a political will to tarnish my reputation."

Nelson's dismissal comes after two British newlyweds were shot to death on July 27 in a hillside resort cottage. Police charged a man and a teenager with murder and robbery in the attack. The slaying brought unwelcome negative publicity to the tiny, tourism-dependent nation.