Road deaths up on previous year

There were ten road traffic fatalities in 2003 compared to only two in 2002 according to the Road Traffic Collision Statistics issued by the Bermuda Police Service.

But the total number of collisions reported to Police fell by 5.6 percent in 2003 with 2,845 compared with a total of 3,005 in 2002.

A total of 4,277 locals and 411 tourists were involved in collisions in 2003 compared with with 4,971 locals and 419 tourists involved in collisions in 2002.

Three hundred and seven tourists were slightly injured while 30 were seriously injured.

The biggest cause of collisions in 2003 was attributed to drivers not paying attention. Inattention caused 803 collisions, down from 841 in 2002.

Livery cycles were involved in 232 of the single vehicle collisions in 2003 down by only one collision from 2002. Private cars were involved in 50.5 percent of collisions.

The highest age group involved in collisions were people from 31 to 40-years-old who were involved in 23.5 percent of accidents.

Police reported that they attended the scene of 87 collisions where alcohol or drugs were suspected as the cause, accounting for 3.1 percent of the total number of accidents reported.

Three arrested in hotel raid

Police arrested three people for drugs during a raid the at Hamilton Princess hotel on Friday night.

Police entered two rooms at around 11.25 p.m. and found plant-like material and smoking equipment in one. A 34-year-old Bermudian man, a 28-year-old Canadian man and a 23-year-old Canadian woman were arrested on suspicion of the misuse of drugs act and cautioned.

However one source at the scene said Police were acting on a tip-off about about an illegal sex party taking place involving a woman imported to strip.

Expansion plan approved

The Development Application Board has approved the second phase of The Hamptons development in Southampton, giving the nod to for nine detached houses.

It is the second phase in a 40-unit development on the 12.6 acre site near Gibb's Hill Lighthouse which slopes down from St. Anne's Road to South Road and Lighthouse Road.

Residents had complained extra houses would create a situation of high density housing and would not be in keeping with the properties in the surrounding area.

Planners stipulated trees or shrubs removed or damaged be replaced by endemic ones.

Play Station stolen

A Sony Play Station was stolen from a Hamilton Parish home on Thursday.

The complainant told Police that he secured his Trinity Church road home at 1 p.m. that day.

When he returned at 4.30 p.m. the same day, he noticed that someone had broken into his home and stolen the Play Station along with the control and memory card.