BP is looking for local workers to undertake training and begin cleanup operations on beaches and in coastal waters affected by the Deepwater Horizon spill.

The New York Times reports that many workers from outside states such as Louisiana, Texas and Florida are finding that their training and employment contracts are being cut short as BP prioritises local hiring programmes.

Expressing criticism of the cleanup operation, Glenn Welstad, the chief executive of California-based recruiting firm Command Center, told the paper: "If they wanted to charge full steam ahead with the cleanup, they would let the most experienced workers have the jobs."

According to BP figures, around 25,000 workers have been called in to help with the cleanup operation, which is focusing on deploying tar balls, booms and skimming the surface of the water to reduce the size of the spill.

Although the rate of spillage has been staunched, the leak is not expected to be halted completely until August, when two relief wells will be drilled.

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