the Island, despite the brutal murder of a 69-year-old woman.

Nobody has been hanged in Bermuda since Erskine (Buck) Burrows and Larry Tacklyn were sent to the gallows in 1977 following a number of killings which included the Governor Sir Richard Sharples and his Aide-de-Camp Captain Hugh Sayers, Police Commissioner George Duckett and two supermarket owners, Victor Rego and Mark Doe.

And their executions sparked a wave of race riots across the Island.

The Royal Gazette this week carried out a street survey to gauge opinion on whether or not the death penalty should be reinforced.

Doris-Emmeline Peets, a friend of 69-year-old murder victim Beatrice Simons, said: "Capital punishment should definitely be brought back.

"I knew Beatrice because we went to the same church at Warwick Seventh Day Adventist's.

"What happened to her is just awful and we're all very, very frightened.'' The 80-year-old from Smith's added: "There are so many elderly people living by themselves and we need to be protected.

"Please bring back the death penalty so we can rest more easily.'' Ronald Terceira, 24, from Paget, agreed that capital punishment should be used again.

He added: "The way crime is going on the Island at the moment makes me think we should bring the death penalty back.

"I don't think the threat of imprisonment is what it used to be. Some people view it as a vacation.'' Vincent Cabral, 23, said he felt violent crime was "a recurring problem'' and culprits needed to be brought to justice.

Mr. Cabral, from St. George's, added: "For the most serious offences, like murder, the death penalty should be considered.

"Rehabilitation doesn't seem to be working and people are going around doing these serious crimes.

"It seems to be a recurring problem.'' But 18-year-old Robin Woolridge, from Somerset, opposed the death penalty.

"Only Our Lord the Father has the right to take somebody's life,'' he said.

"Life imprisonment is the best option for serious criminals.'' Dean Anthony Smith, 34, also opposed the death penalty.

"It's only a little Island and we know we have got a lot of problems but this is not the way to solve them,'' said Mr. Smith, from Pembroke.

"In fact, I think the death penalty could make things worse. Murderers should be locked up for life and dealt with in prison.

"They should be punished as far as the law allows but there is no way they should be executed.'' Phillip Ingham, 27, opposed the death penalty in case innocent people were convicted of murder.

"It's more than possible that there would be occasions when the wrong person was found guilty,'' he said.

"It would obviously be totally wrong for them to be executed. They could be kept in prison for years and wait for the appeals process to prove their innocence or guilt but even that's not ideal.

"The best solution is to stick with life imprisonment.'' Phillip Ingham Doris Emmeline-Peets Dean Smith Ronald Terceira Robin Woolridge