the public, according to a street survey by The Royal Gazette .

A random sample of six people yesterday showed five were in favour of axing the rope.

And support for Bermuda taking capital punishment off the books was most firmly backed by the young, with older people, although more ambivalent, agreeing the death penalty should go.

Carlos Butterfield, 30, a van driver from Pembroke, said: "I think they should get rid of it.

"That was back then and this is a new era and we should go with it.'' He admitted he might feel differently if he was close to a victim of a murder.

But he insisted: "It's changing times and we shouldn't have capital punishment.'' Advertising executive, Debbie Morris, 29, said: "It doesn't really take place anyway, so I think it's neither here nor there. It's best it's abolished.'' They were speaking after Government announced in the Throne Speech that both hanging and flogging -- neither of which have been used for decades -- would be removed from the law books.

The UK Government's White Paper on relations with its overseas territories singled out capital and judicial corporal punishment as human rights violations which would have to be ended if the overseas territories wished to retain their links with the UK.

Only Bermuda still has both in force, with the death penalty retained for premeditated murder.

A referendum in the early nineties showed overwhelming support for retention of the death penalty -- although that view seems to have undergone a sea change since then.

Parliamentarian Dale Butler said he had always been a firm opponent of judicial murder.

He said: "Most definitely -- I've always been anti-hanging, I guess because of the religious way I was brought up, I'm against it.'' Mr. Butler added: "Catching some of the problems we have earlier on might prevent these things happening later on.'' But he appeared to agree with tough penalties -- short of death -- for killers.

But insurance underwriter David Lindo, 50, of Smith's Parish, took a hard-line view.

Mr. Lindo said: "I think it should stay. The punishment should fit the crime.

"You still have the possibility of clemency -- the Governor has that right.

There's always a back-up. But in some circumstances, people should hang.'' Londoner Simon Wade, 18, on holiday in Bermuda, said: "I think abolition's a good thing. The risk of getting a wrong conviction is too great.'' He said the death penalty in places like Singapore appeared to act as a deterrent -- but maintained his opposition.

Mr. Wade, however, added that the decision should be for Bermudians -- without outside pressure from the UK.

Warwick resident and shop worker Delight Goodfellow, 58, said, on balance, that the death penalty should go -- and she echoed concerns over verdicts later found to be wrong.

Ms Goodfellow added: "It's not the sort of thing you can correct afterwards -- although sometimes you think they deserve what they get. But, on balance, it should be abolished.'' Carlos Butterfield Debbie Morris Delight Butterfield