TWO thousand residents of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston were handed food packages and drinking water during yesterday's visit to the community by the political ombudsman, Bishop Herro Blair.

"We brought in 2,000 packages and it was very, very successful. We left without taking any back," Bishop Blair told the Observer after returning from the community, where residents have been locked in since the start of a joint police/military operation on Monday.

Blair was assisted by other pastors and scores of volunteers to package and distribute the products, which were donated by various groups and companies across the island.

"Certainly it went as smooth as butter. There was no fighting over what we didn't bring or anything like that, they co-operated with us," he said of the food distribution.

The ombudsman, who had visited the community on Tuesday along with Public Defender Earl Witter, at the request of Prime Minister Bruce Golding, had high praises for the security forces.