People in the area affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have expressed their anger that BP chief executive officer Tony Hayward and US President Barack Obama engaged in leisure pursuits yesterday as the disaster continues to unfold.

Mr Hayward went sailing in the UK despite criticism that he is not doing enough to control the spill.

The White House led hostile comment after Mr Hayward spent time relaxing on the Isle of Wight at the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

However, it was reported that President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden played golf near Washington, something they have done on other weekends since the crisis began two months ago.

"Our government, the executives at BP, it looks like they decide to worry about it later," said Captain Dwayne Price, a charter fisherman in Grand Isle, Louisiana.

And Sai Stiffler, who spent yesterday repairing his shrimp boat at Delta Marina in Empire, Louisiana, was not pleased that President Obama was playing golf and Mr Hayward was at a yacht race.

"Right now is no time for that," Mr Stiffler said. "I don't think they know how bad people are hurting."

President Obama's chief of staff said Mr Hayward had committed yet another in a "long line of PR gaffes" by attending the race.

Rahm Emanuel mocked Mr Hayward's notorious statement on Facebook that he wished the crisis were over so he could have his life back.

Referring to the yachting, Mr Emanuel told ABC television's This Week: "He's got his life back, as he would say."

Shadow foreign secretary David Miliband said Mr Hayward's position did not mean he should not be able to spend a day with his son, but stopped short of criticising the White House.

He told Sky News Sunday Live: "Tony Hayward is a chief executive of a company.

"He is accountable for the actions of the company. Does that mean he's not allowed to have a day with his son? No.

"Does it mean that he does have to lead the company to deal with this fundamental issue that threatens the whole future of the economy? Yes, it does."

He said it was important BP's "whole efforts" were directed towards dealing with the spill, adding: "I am not coming on this show to give you headlines about me attacking the White House."

A BP spokesman said: "We wouldn't dream of commenting on what the chief executive does in his rare moments of private time."

Company officials insisted Mr Hayward is still in charge of the operation amid confusion over his role.

The crisis that followed the blast on the Deepwater Horizon well on April 20, which killed 11 workers, has seen millions of gallons of oil continuing to threaten the Gulf Coast in America's worst environmental disaster.

On Friday, company chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg said Mr Hayward had been relieved of day-to-day control of the spill and that BP managing director Bob Dudley would take over. However, other BP officials insisted Mr Hayward remained in charge.

Latest estimates suggest 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day are continuing to pour from the well.

A company spokesman said: "Until the acute part of this crisis is over, until the leak is capped, Tony Hayward is still very much in charge in the response to this crisis." The company said about 21,040 barrels were recovered yesterday, slightly lower than previous levels because of a 10 hour shutdown on one of the ships taking part in the operation, the Discoverer Enterprise.

There was a technical problem, combined with a lightning storm in the area.

BP has set up a $20 billion (€16 billion) compensation fund and scrapped shareholder dividends until the end of the year.

It said it has paid $104 million to people along the Gulf Coast for claims filed as a result of the spill.

It was reported yesterday that BP is working on plans to raise $50 billion to cover the cost of the spill - more than double the amount previously thought.

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