carry their licences, it would help Police crack down on the problem of people giving false names when arrested.

Will Francis spoke out after a man was brought before Magistrates' Court for a traffic offence which appeared to have been committed by someone else.

Mr. Francis said so-called friends of students who travel overseas frequently give Police the student's name when they are arrested.

He said: "If we made people carry driver's licences it could assist us. The most unfortunate people who become the patsies for this tend to be overseas students.

"A young man goes overseas and all his friends use his name. That's happening all the time.

"They come back and get arrested left, right and centre because their friends have used their name when they are abroad.'' Mr. Francis adjourned the case of David Barrington, 35, of Sun Valley Road, Warwick, to enable Police officers to come to court to make a positive identification.

Barrington's name was given by someone stopped for driving without insurance.

But he claimed the date of birth, home address and signature on the ticket were wrong.

Barrington pleaded guilty to a separate charge of speeding at 57 kph on a motorbike and was fined $250.

PLEA TO TAKE DOWN CLOCK HAM Plea to take down clock The Millennium clock on Front Street will probably be taken down "in the near future'', according to Corporation of Hamilton secretary Roger Sherratt.

But this does not mean that the trusty chronometer could not be used for counting down to other events, such as the June's Tall Ships Race or Cup Match/Emancipation Day.

Mr. Sherratt was speaking after The Royal Gazette received a letter from a fed-up resident, who called themselves a "Keep Bermuda Beautiful'' Bermudian, claiming the clock was a "piece of junk'' and an "eye sore''.

Noting that the Millennium clock was really the responsibility of the Millennium Committee, Mr. Sherratt said: "It's likely that the committee will make the clock available for other uses, including maybe the Tall Ships arrival or the Cup Match Holiday.'' Asked if the clock might be used for counting down to the next new year, he said: "No. We think we've had our Millennium already. We are currently making arrangements to take down the border of the clock and probably the clock itself in the near future.

"If there are any other organisations that want to use it, then they can certainly request it.''