Developer scales back on Hamptons project

The Hamptons development has sought Planning approval to make 12 of its St. Anne?s Road, Southampton, units smaller.

Kevin Cross applied for revisions to new construction at the location.

Mr. Cross, managing director of WhiteCross Developments, said the Hamptons is entering its third and final phase.

?Four, single family homes were originally scheduled to be 4,000 square feet but this has been reduced to 3,100 square feet,? Mr. Cross said.

Eight, three-bedroom, townhouses will also be reduced to the 3,100 square feett size-range, he added.

?This should be very favourable to neighbours who said there were too many houses on the hillside,? he said.

In February 2005, Mr. Cross heard the overcrowding calls and said he would build build half the number of homes at the third and final stage of the Hamptons and assured residents that eight acres of woodland reserve, under a section 34 agreement since 1999, will not be touched.

In addition, Mr. Cross this week applied for a pool addition to unit seven of the Hamptons.

?This is a buyer modification,? he said. ?That home has already been sold and was one with a large backyard.?

He said the completion date of phase two ? including one 4,500 square foot home ? is August.

Construction has began on eight townhouses, he said, scheduled for completion at the end of 2006.

Four, single family homes should be completed by the end of 2006, or start of 2007, he added.

Man only ?swore back? at Police

A 46-year-old man told Magistrates? Court that he swore at Police because they swore at him.

Roger Winston Darrell of Channel View Lane, Hamilton, admitted last week to calling Police ?f**king punks? on May 13, 2005.

?That?s offensive?? he asked. ?I didn?t call anyone anything directly and they were telling me to shut the f**k up.?

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner then explained to the man that he could have a trial where he presented his side of the case if he wanted.

?All that you say is fine and dandy but regardless of what I say nothing is going to change,? he told the Senior Magistrate. ?They will not tell you that they swore at me first so it is pointless. It is me against them and you are going to say ?My officers don?t lie?. These are the facts, this is life and this is reality.?

Mr. Warner informed the gentleman that he did not have any Police and was a Magistrate and put the charge to him. Darrell pleaded guilty and was fined $500. Darrell left the court uttering: ?Oh man, this is foolishness, $500 for swearing.?

Leaky water tank sealed

A leaking Dockyard water tank has been fixed ahead of the next summer dry season.

In August 2005, the West End Development Corporation (Wedco) confirmed around 15,000 gallons escaped from a faulty tank near the Victualling Yard.

The source of the water was tanker which pumped 2.5 million gallons of fresh water from Philadelphia to alleviate one of the worst water crises in recent memory.

?We did repairs on that tank,? Wedco Business Manager Edward Williams said. ?We were storing water in an area that had not had anything stored in it.?

Mr. Williams said temporary repairs were carried out immediately after the leak was discovered but permanent repairs were completed before the end of 2005.

In August, Wedco facilities manager Andrew Dias said that upgrading tanks was constantly ongoing and maintenance work at a 700,000 gallon tank behind the Clock Tower virtually made it a brand new tank.

Principal engineer at the Prospect Reverse Osmosis Plant Steve McMinn said last week that although Government had no water catchments, all of its wells are functioning normally.

With around 200 wells arounds the Island however, he said, that meant a lot of upkeep.

Tools stolen inHamilton Parish

Tools were stolen during a weekend break-in at a property being renovated on Wilkinson Avenue, Hamilton Parish. Police said a Makita chipping hammer, saw and cordless drill were taken. Anyone with information should contact their nearest Police station or Police headquarters on 295-0011.

Four weekend arrests for drink-driving

Four people were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of drink driving, Police said on Monday. There were also six road crashes resulting in injury and 12 involving vehicle-damage only. Officers attended six incidents of breaking and entering and the Police Support Unit made 21 arrests for various offences, including three for possession of a bladed weapon.

Motorcyclist hospitalised after Sunday crash

A 20-year-old motorcyclist was taken to hospital with a broken knee after his bike crashed into a wooden guard rail.

The man, from St George?s, was travelling west on Harrington Sound Road, Smith?s, at 8 a.m. on Sunday when the accident occurred.

Police said the rider failed to negotiate a left-hand bend near the junction with Lolly?s Well Road, struck a rock in the road and was thrown from his vehicle. He was last night in a stable condition on a general ward at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. The motorcycle was extensively damaged.

Residents warned to beware of credit card scam

The head of Bermuda?s fraud unit has issued a fresh warning to people to beware bogus financial callers.

Inspector Nicholas Pedro spoke out after an email began circulating around the Island yesterday warning of the latest credit card scam.

Although the message refers to attempts to dupe credit card users over the telephone in the UK, Insp. Pedro said it was a timely reminder not to give out personal details to unknown callers.

The email describes Visa and MasterCard customers being called and asked to give out the three-digit security number on the back of their card before fraudulent transactions were carried out.

Insp. Pedro said: ?We have not received any complaints locally with regards to this and it would appear to have been sent from someone in the UK.

?But it is good advice not to hand out that information anyway. That?s the standard advice from any bank. They are not going to call you and ask for this information.

?It fits in with our standard fraud advice, not to give out any account information over the phone to persons you don?t recognise. These kind of things are not uncommon and standard precautions would prevent this.?

Cash taken during two break-ins

Already this week there have been two reported incidents of breaking and entering on the Island.

On Monday evening, Hamilton residents called Police to their Wyndham Hill home and reported that someone had broken in. The complainants stated that someone entered the house during the day and stole approximately $230 in cash.

And early Tuesday morning Police attended a Tucker?s Town residence where it was reported that someone had broken in. The unknown culprit reportedly stole $45 before leaving the residence.

Police are investigating both incidents.