IT sounds like a plot from a James Bond film, but staff at the harbourmaster's office at Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight have uncovered a spying scheme hidden in smoke detectors on the ceiling.

Two bugging devices were found as staff at the £1m centre carried out a routine check on fire safety equipment during an annual inspection.

No precise description of the microphone bugs has been released, though it has raised the question among staff as to why anyone would want to listen in on discussions surrounding the granting of licences to visiting sailors.

The bugs were found in the ceiling of two rooms, the chief executive's office and the committee room of the Harbour Commissions Headquarters hidden behind the plastic casing of the fire alarms.

The commission has said the microphones were not connected to anything, though appear to have been installed some time ago.

So far bosses at the centre have refused police involvement, despite one former commissioner calling for a full investigation into how the bugs got there and what they were intended to be used for.

Charles Rogers, the commission's chief executive, said: "I admit we were very surprised when the microphones were discovered.

"I have just returned from two years in China and it's the sort of thing you expect there but not here.

"The microphones were not in working order and had wires trailing from them which did not lead anywhere."

A spokesman for the police said: "I offered our help and that offer was declined."