Several Bermuda Regiment soldiers are to be charged with vandalising centuries-old Tucker House at the US Naval Annex in Southampton.

The front door and windows of the historical building were smashed during a recent Regiment exercise on the base.

Regiment spokesman Major David Gibbons yesterday confirmed "certain members of the Regiment were involved''.

Major Gibbons would not disclose the number of soldiers involved.

But he stressed the soldiers are to be charged by the Regiment and, if found guilty, disciplined.

Major Gibbons added the individuals acted on their own. Their actions were not part of the manoeuvres the Regiment was conducting, he said.

"The individuals will be formally charged and held accountable for any damage they have done,'' he said.

Chairman of the National Trust's environmental committee Mr. Tim Marshall said it was "very disappointing that a national treasure would be treated in this way''.

"This is the sort of behaviour one would expect from vandals, not from members of the Regiment,'' Mr. Marshall said.

However, he added that he was confident the Regiment would get to the bottom of the incident and carry out repairs swiftly.

"It also brings to light the problem of security with the base land,'' Mr.

Marshall said. "The Bermuda Government should make sure that there is sufficient security on the base and voice concern to the United States Navy about the security problems and ask them to post sufficient Navy personnel on the base.'' Base commander Capt. Tim Bryan said vandalism had been occurring at the Annex since its closure. The Annex was secured with a fence and a lock which was all that was required.

When asked why there were no personnel at the Annex to provide security, Capt.

Bryan said as there was no-one working or living there and no assets on the base, there was nothing to protect.

He also said base personnel periodically visited the Annex and responded when people informed them of trespassing and vandalism.

Management and Technology Minister the Hon. Grant Gibbons said that while the Annex was in the hands of the US Navy the Government was reluctant to proceed in establishing any security there.

However, he said, when Government takes over the base on September 1, it will also take over the security and maintenance of the area until a clear plan had been accepted on how the area will be used.

This, he explained, would be similar to the way the Ministry of Works and Engineering had cared for Daniel's Head since the Canadian Navy pulled out.

National Trust spokesman Mr. Robert Duffy said Tucker House was built around 1780 and has been renovated since, so it was not architecturally significant.

But he said it was historically significant because it marked the beginning of the US military presence in Bermuda on March 1, 1941.