Grief over the death of a young Pembroke man escalated out of control yesterday.

Residents living near Admiralty House awoke to find a wall of the building -- used for senior citizen activities and other events -- covered with graffiti.

The road near the building was also spray painted.

And although the defacement was in tribute to 25-year-old Hubert Butterfield who died earlier this week in a road accident, observers complained it was in poor taste.

"I was shocked,'' said Admiralty House director Mr. Fred Hassell. "It's a very twisted sympathetic expression of their grief. It certainly could be handled a different way.

"I'm sure the family would object to this. It certainly compounds the grief to the family and the community.'' One of Mr. Butterfield's cousins who cooks for senior citizens at the building, Ms Joyce Butterfield, echoed similar sentiments. "I feel bad,'' she said. "When I first saw it I said this is impossible. It can't be.

"It's a shame the way these boys carried on. This does not show any love. I'm sure Hubie -- he was such a nice boy -- would not be happy with this.'' Mr. Hassell, however, said he did not believe those guilty of defacing the building intended to be malicious.

"From talking to some of the guys, they did not realise they would upset so many people,'' he said later. "They have agreed to clean it up.'' But one area resident, who asked not to be identified, said he was fed up with youths congregating around Admiralty Park and being a nuisance to others.

On Tuesday night he said he was forced to leave his home around 10 p.m.

because music coming from the unofficial wake -- a quarter of a mile away -- was so loud that he could not here his television.

The man, who claims he has filed numerous complaints with Police about the same problem, said he did not bother this time because he was tired of hearing that there were not enough officers to patrol the area on a regular basis.

He said when he contacted assistant director of parks Mr. Bill Cook he was just told that there was a sign up, listing the park hours.

When contacted yesterday, Mr. Cook said he had visited Admiralty House and spoken to one of youngsters involved with the graffiti. "They got emotionally out of line,'' he said. "I've had the same problem in New York.

"We don't understand it as adults, but this is their way of expressing grief.'' Mr. Cook said Agriculture and Fisheries supplied the paint to allow some of the young men to repaint the building.

DISGUSTED -- Ms Joyce Butterfield, a cousin of the man whose death sparked a "graffiti tribute'' at Admiralty House, yesterday condemned the youths' spray-painting spree.