People have been urged to help rid the streets of one of Bermuda's most aggressive beggars after he was seen harassing scores of people in just 20 minutes.

The Corporation of Hamilton has received increasing numerous calls from members of the public, particularly women, who claim they have been grabbed by Eugene (Jinx) Darrell and accosted.

He has been arrested many times before for begging and other offences, but continues to hound workers and shoppers around the City of Hamilton.

But yesterday, Secretary of the corporation Roger Sherratt said he was becoming increasingly concerned as Mr. Darrell was becoming more and more aggressive.

He said he wanted to remind members of the public that begging in Bermuda was illegal and asked anybody who was approached by Mr. Darrell to call Police and agree to testify in court.

Mr. Sherratt said: "I am getting more and more complaints about Jinx Darrell, and it is worrying me because he tends to target women, especially the elderly.

"Jinx has been doing this for some time and he has been to court before, but we need people to agree to testify against him in court if we are to get anything done again.

"He is getting increasingly aggressive - he grabs women and tourists, in particular, by the arm and demands $5 from them.

City seeks solution to downtown Jinx "A lot of people have told me they were scared and so just handed over the money.

"He is six foot one and is quite frightening to look at. Besides the fact that he is scaring women and being a nuisance, he is doing great harm to our tourism industry.'' Mr. Darrell has five convictions for begging, and earlier this year returned immediately to the streets to ply his illegal living after walking out of Magistrates Court.

Calls went out from members of the public for the courts to do something about the begging problem in Hamilton, but still there are a handful of habitual panhandlers.

Community activist Toppy Cowen suggested beggars be banned from entering the city in a bid to put a lid on the problem.

Yesterday, a man who witnessed Mr. Darrell harassing tourists on Pitts Bay Road on Sunday night as they made their way back to their hotel from town, said he was appalled by what he saw.

The man, who does not wish to be named, said: "I called the corporation because he was very deliberately targeting women or people who were walking along in ones and twos.

"He approached so many people while I sat there. He even walked with them along the street, persisting - they couldn't get away.

"I am a born Bermudian and I have never known it as bad as this. It's not good for tourists, its not good for women, and it's not god for Bermuda. I'm sure these people were scared.'' The man said he also saw Mr. Darrell approach a woman, who was aged about 60, as she sat in her car last week in Queen Street.

But he said when he went to the aid of the female driver, Mr. Darrell walked away.

He added: "This is harassment and something must be done. Beggars do no good whatsoever for anybody.'' A spokeswoman for the Police supported Mr. Sherratt's call and urged people not only to report sightings of beggars, but also to be prepared to give evidence in court.

She added: "We can receive complaints and move people on, and even arrest people, but unless witnesses are prepared to go to court to testify it all falls down.

"We certainly don't want the public being harassed by any beggars, but there is only so much we can do. We need people's support in court.'' Anyone with information or sightings of beggars in action should call Police on 295-0011.