ALCOHOL could soon be on sale at Horseshoe Bay Beach, despite a lengthy legal battle less than 20 years ago which saw residents successfully object to a licence being granted for the premises.

South Shore Hospitality Group, which runs the Horseshoe Bay Caf?, has applied for a licence at the popular South Shore attraction and will make its case in Magistrates' Court at 9 a.m. next Friday ? only two weeks after Gombey Restaurant owner Marlon Laws was allowed to sell alcohol at the Clearwater Beach facility.

Southampton resident Sallie Singleton was one of those instrumental in preventing alcohol from being sold at Horseshoe Bay Beach in 1986. She joined the cause championed by Angela Gentleman and Stuart Hayward ? together the group collected more than 150 signatures supporting their rally against former Horseshoe Bay Beach Club owner Raymond White.

"I think it was extremely upsetting to see the manner in which the more than 100 good citizens of St. David's who objected to the Clearwater Beach liquor licence were completely dismissed as being totally unimportant," she said of the recent decision by the Liquor Licence Authority.

"I was very saddened. Obviously they'd gone to a lot of effort and it was completely disregarded despite the fact that it's a family beach, despite the fact that it's important to see people take responsibility and that we should be concerned about it from a safety, as well as a moral point of view."

Notice of South Shore Hospitality's licence application appeared in the last Friday. Owned by Maurice Caines, the company will sell beer and wine at Horseshoe Bay Caf? if the application is successful.

The notice of the application states: "Any person ordinarily resident in the parish or any owner or occupier of any property lying within 300 yards of the premises in respect of which this application is made may object to the grant of the licence provided written notice containing, in general terms, the grounds of the objection is served on The Commission of The Liquor Licensing Authority, The Commissioner of Police and The Applicant, not less than three days before the hearing."

With the hearing next Friday, objections must be filed by this coming Tuesday.

Although he has since moved out of Southampton, Mr. Hayward said he remained just as concerned about the issue. And he suggested that the law be changed to enable residents across the island to weigh in with their opinions.

"We need to stop addressing this issue in a parochial way as though what happens in one parish doesn't affect another," he said. "It might have been useful for the people who live in Southampton, the people who live near any beach, to have had a say in what happened at Clearwater because if a liquor licence is given for Clearwater then every other concessionaire will say, 'Well they got it. How can you keep it from us?'

"It is an issue that affects the entire island. Alcohol often changes people who would otherwise be reasonable into unreasonable and sometimes violent people. Alcohol is linked to violence. Violence is something that's on the increase. We really have to start looking at the island as a whole.

"We can't afford to sell out just because a concessionaire can make a bit more money by selling alcohol. It's not worth it. The arguments haven't changed." Ms Gentleman agreed, adding that she was "horrified" to learn of the Clearwater decision. And, although she no longer lives in Southampton, she said she would find an approval at that location just as distressing.

"As far as I'm concerned, a beach is a public place," she said. "And, as far as I'm aware, drinking in public is not legal. We as a society are spending a lot of money on drug and alcohol problems. We're spending money on interventions. We're spending money on awareness programmes.

"I enjoy a glass of wine as much as the next person, but it's our most popular beach. It's where our young people and tourists love to go in the summers. Alcohol is a drug ? it's a legal drug, but it still alters behaviour. It reduces inhibitions. It certainly reduces awareness of danger. You're likely to take more risks when you've been drinking."

She added that the average person ? tourist or local ? would not expect to be able to purchase alcohol at a fast-food restaurant and would therefore not be disappointed because it wasn't on sale at Horseshoe Bay Caf?.

"This is not a high-class facility. This is a fast-food restaurant. I don't think people go with an expectation of being able to drink liquor. They're not sitting at a table with tablecloth and a waiter as one might do in a setting where they have a liquor licence because they're a restaurant.

"It's fast-food service ? like Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza House ? and we don't have wine and liquor (there). And I think that's because we look on them as family outlets."

Mrs. Singleton said that with so many other places in the world banning alcohol from their beaches, tourists would not necessarily expect it to be served on public beaches here.

"All but two cities in Southern California have banned alcohol on their beaches where they allowed alcohol before because local residents recognised the need to prohibit alcohol to protect the health and safety of their citizens and reduce the resources necessary, such as police, to maintain civil order.

"Bermuda would not be alone. It's happening in South Africa ? Cape Town is banning booze on beaches. It's happening in many parts of the United States. So I don't think the argument will wash that tourists are going to Horseshoe Bay and look for a drink.

"There are 11 establishments within one mile of Horseshoe Bay Caf? that sell alcohol. They can walk a few paces next door to Whaler Inn or walk or bike up the hill and go to Tio Pep?, besides the other nine places within a mile.

"Of course, I'm well aware that we need to be very conscious of our visitors to Bermuda. The argument is that perhaps they would like to have a pina colada at the beach. However, I would think that it is about time that this community put its Bermudians first ? especially our young Bermudians.

"For many, many years, parents have been comfortable to let their unaccompanied teenagers use Horseshoe Bay especially when the lifeguards were there and especially because there was no alcohol.

"It's probably the most dangerous beach in Bermuda and it already has unsavoury characters, public urination, perverts, sexual assault, as well as drownings and accidents from diving from the rocks. Do we need to add alcohol to further exacerbate the problems we already have there?"

A call to the Director of Parks was not returned by press time.