Some 10,000 warrants are outstanding for the arrest of alleged offenders who failed to show up in court, it has been claimed.

Acting senior magistrate Archie Warner yesterday said it was no wonder there had been so many warrants issued as people did not respect the law and turn up for hearings or pay fines amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

His outburst followed a request by a young mother who asked for more time to pay a fine after she had three times failed to attend the court. He said a hard line had to be taken and people on the Island must be taught that being called to appear in court was a serious issue.

And he said not only did they have to appear, but they also had to pay the fines within the time scale given or face a jail term.

Mr. Warner said: "There are 10,000 warrants out now because of people who are prosecuted and simply don't bother to come to court. It isn't good enough.

"You say you can ask for time to pay. Why should I give you time to pay?'' Tenea Hendrickson, 19, was eventually brought before the Magistrates Court yesterday, after having warrants issued for her arrest relating to offences and unpaid fines dating back almost three years.

Her excuse for missing the first hearing was that she did not receive the summons back in 1997. But she said she did not have reasons as to why she had not turned up to the other two hearings.

The first case related to a speeding matter in April 1997. The second charge was for disobeying a traffic sign in November of the same year.

Yesterday, Hendrickson, the mother of a baby, of Marsh Folly Road, Pembroke, appeared also charged with speeding and not having a valid driver's licence in June last year.

She was supposed to attend court to answer those charges in September, but again failed to turn up. Yesterday, she pleaded guilty to them all.

She was ordered to pay $200 for the first offence in 1997, $100 for disobeying the traffic sign, $220 for speeding last and $100 for not having a driver's licence.

Mr. Warner said all of the fines had to be paid by the end of April or she would be jailed.

But Hendrickson said she would have difficulty meeting the deadline.

The young mother said: "Can I have more time to pay. I don't have a job and I have got a one-year-old son. I don't have time to pay.'' The magistrate replied: "Why should I give you time to pay. It has to be paid by April 30 or it is ten days default.'' Hundreds of thousands of dollars is owed to the system by delinquent Bermduians who have not bothered to turn up for court or have not bothered to pay fines.

A regular excuse in the court room is that people simply "forgot to turn up'' or that they "never received the summons'' telling them to appear. Some, when they are eventually brought before the courts, say they cannot even remember being charged.

Former senior magistrate Will Francis said magistrates took as hard a line as they could, but the problem was down to a lack of respect of the law.

He said there were two different types of warrants - those for unpaid fines and those for failure to appear in court.

"There are thousands of warrants outstanding in both of those categories,'' he said.