In a sign of increasingly-violent times, MPs are planning to beef up security at the House of Assembly.

The move comes after a recent incident in which a man entered the members' coffee room and was ready to swing a helmet at Progressive Labour Party MP Mr.

Leon (Jimmy) Williams.

The man uttered threats at Mr. Williams and Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness, who happened upon the scene, Government MP Mr. Tim Smith told The Royal Gazette .

That closely followed an earlier incident in which a man lurking around the Sessions House who appeared drunk created concerns for Government MP the Hon.

Ann Cartwright DeCouto and PLP MP Mr. Walter Lister.

The House and grounds committee, which Mr. Smith chairs, is looking at two ways to improve security, he said. It proposes: A card access system for after hours at the west entrance to the Sessions House off Parliament Street; and Improved exterior lighting.

The measures will complement existing security, which involves a Police officer on duty at the public entrance to the Sessions House, off Reid Street.

"Members of Parliament are easy targets, because of their freedom of speech and their public speech,'' Mr. Smith said. "It's necessary for us to take reasonable precautions.'' Mr. Smith, who was first elected to the House in 1993, said he was not aware of any other incidents in recent years. But he understood that during times of civil unrest in the 1970s, it was common for Police to patrol the building.

The helmet-wielding incident happened before lunch, about a week ago.

Mr. Williams said the man did not know him. He entered the coffee room and asked Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade: "Where's Jimmy Williams?'' Mr.

Wade pointed out the St. George's North MP and the man told Mr. Williams he wanted to talk to him.

They stepped out into the corridor and the man was holding his cycle helmet like he was about to swing it when Mr. Edness came along, Mr. Williams said.

He then broke away and pursued Mr. Edness, saying he was going to "take care'' of him also, Mr. Williams said.

The MP did not want to discuss why the man wanted to talk to him, but said he was acting on "misinformation''. Mr. Williams said he did not report the incident to Police.

The earlier incident was about two weeks ago, but also during the Budget Debate. Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto encountered the drunken man in the hallway on her way out of the west door of the Sessions House at about 8 p.m., he said.

While no threats were uttered, "he didn't appear he was someone who should have been in the House at all''. The same night, Mr. Lister saw the man lurking in the bushes just outside the House.

Mr. Williams, who during debate this year on the Firearms Amendment Act 1995 called for a metal detector to be installed at the ground floor public entrance to the Sessions House, said "the grounds of Parliament should be more secure'', not just for MPs, but the public generally.

"We can't just take the chances we took years ago,'' he said.

"The times have changed. It's a different world out there today. There are a lot of problems that face not just Bermuda, but the world.''