Former middleweight boxing champion Mr. Fred Thomas has called on the "good people'' of Bermuda to join forces against senseless violence before a "few hooligans'' ruin the Island.

His warning came just about a week after he was attacked outside Harrington Workmen's Club in Devil's Hole.

Mr. Thomas, who is president of the club and recently helped to restore it, received numerous punches and kicks to his body before and after a bottle was broken over his head because he asked several young men who were hanging around the club not to leave their beer bottles outside of the club.

Still suffering from headaches and memory lapses, Mr. Thomas told The Royal Gazette he was about to leave the area around 8 p.m. last Tuesday when he felt "a hard punch'' on the head.

"I informed them that I will just charge them with assault,'' he said. "As I walked away, he (the attacker) was encouraged by another individual.'' Mr. Thomas described how he tried to restrain his attacker as he spat and threw punches at him.

"By trying to live a spiritual life and being an ex-boxer I thought it was wrong for me to fight back physically with him,'' he said. "I told him I did not want to fight.'' Mr. Thomas said as he tried to get into his vehicle to leave the man pursued him.

"That's when I realised I needed to fight back,'' he said, adding he was blocking the man's punches and began to get "the better part of him''.

"That's when he picked up a bottle and bust it on the left-hand side of my temple and ear,'' Mr. Thomas said.

He also noted several people in the area watched without interceding as blood poured down his clothes.

"After I was bleeding, I thought the guy would have walked away,'' Mr. Thomas said. "But he still came after me with kicks and punches.

"He then pulled out a blunt, silver medal instrument -- like a deadbolt lock but heavier -- and he clobbered me on the side of my face, shoulders, and neck.'' Mr. Thomas said he tried to block the blows. But the man continued to come after him and threw the instrument at his face.

"I knew I was hurt,'' he recalled. "And I felt a bump the size of an egg on my temple. I felt like I was close to death. I don't know how I withstood the blow and how it did not kill me then.'' Mr. Thomas said his assailant pursued him and tried to retrieve the blunt instrument from him as he entered his vehicle.

He managed to drive away and drove to Darrell and Seaman grocery store in Smith's Parish where he called Police who were already aware of the attack.

From there he managed to drive himself to hospital.

A distraught Mr. Thomas said: "I've worked hard at paying my bills and being a good family person. To have something like this happen to me, I don't know how I can just stay calm.'' But he stressed he was concerned that Police had not arrested his assailant despite being provided with a name and a description.

Mr. Thomas pointed out that unless the community worked together to end such violence, no-one was safe.

"Whatever happened to me can happen to any good citizens.

"People must now regroup and let the thugs, punks and drug addicts know that we have had enough because there are more good people than bad.'' A former Police reserve constable and a current member of the Treatment of Offenders Board, Mr. Thomas also called for the cat o'nine tail and capital punishment to be reactivated.

"The magistrates need to be reminded that the cat o'nine tail and the death penalty are still on the books,'' he said. "I'm waiting for the first bold magistrate to sentence people to a whipping and those who commit murder to death.

"To the bleeding-hearted people who feel that the cat o'nine tail and death penalty should not be used, I hope it does not take something happening to them before they change their minds.'' Mr. Thomas noted that he knew of those who had received the cat o'nine tail years ago and never returned to prison.

He also said fear was the community's worst enemy.

Speaking from past experience as a boxer, Mr. Thomas said: "It is when you're hurt that you show your strength.

"And even though I'm hurt physically, I'm not down and out.

"And I don't want any of the thugs to feel they've won because I did not fight back. I want to show youths that violence is not the answer. We as a community have to make a stand. If we don't, the few hooligans will take over.'' When contacted yesterday, Police spokeswoman Insp. Roseanda Jones said: "The officers are aware of the person who is responsible for the attack and they are searching for him,'' she said, adding it was believed the man was in hiding.