let-down yesterday.

They had to drop their plans to jump off a crane, attached only by elastic cord, after Government officials insisted on safety checks.

Bermudians Mr. Nick Moore and Mr. Stuart Kirkpatrick were hoping to bring the worldwide bungee jumping craze to Dockyard today.

They hoped to encourage daredevils to jump off the crane and plunge 140 feet towards the ocean, only to bounce up and down on the elastic.

But officials read of the duo's scheme in yesterday's Royal Gazette and told them they needed permission.

Planning officers, who have banned other bungee operators on safety grounds, will now check the latest proposal. If they give it permission, it may go ahead next week.

"There were some regulations that no-one was aware applied to us,'' said Mr.

Moore.

"There's some information we had to give to the department, but we weren't under the impression that they needed it.

"We have all the technical information on the strength of the cord, the load that the crane can bear and all the safety procedures that are in place.

"It's a shame for us and a shame for the public, who were obviously waiting for it this weekend.

"But we want to work with Planning, and with any regulations that are relevant to our sport.

"We've given them a lot of information and they would like to talk to us on Monday just to get a couple of clarifications.

"Hopefully we'll then be issued with a permit. We hope to operating on Wednesday subject to final approval.

"There's been a lot of interest. Today I was wearing one of the T-shirts which we have had made up, and a lot of people approached me and asked about it.

"One guy had been thinking he would have to go to Florida to do it.'' Mr.

Moore said proper bungee jumping was a sport, not a fairground-type ride.

His operation was affiliated to the Standards Association of British Bungee and complied with their requirements, he said.

"It's perfectly safe,'' he said. "This code of practice takes out human error.'' Building control officer Mr. Richard Krolak said: "I informed both Wedco and the people who are supposedly operating it that they should have made an application for a building permit or a building licence in accordance with the 1962 building regulations, and they just forgot to do it.

"They said they would take appropriate action next week.

"If everything is OK we issue a permit and then the installation can take place. Then we have to inspect it.

"If they get an application in Monday, they may get permission by Friday.

"There have been a couple of proposals to do something similar at a couple of other sites, which were turned down for safety reasons.'' Asked if he would be making a bungee jump, Mr. Krolak said: "Heck, no.

Anybody who does that is crazy.''