improve their lives.

The tests could lead to courses of treatment and possible employment.

The move follows talks between Shadow Human Affairs Minister Ewart Brown and Chief of Psychiatry at St. Brendan's Hospital, Dr. Hameen Markar.

Last week, Dr. Brown visited some of the homeless at Parsons Road after publicity over their plight.

The visit confirmed his suspicions some of the homeless had psychological problems and needed to be in a structured environment.

Dr. Brown told The Royal Gazette last night: "Following the visit, I made contact with Dr. Markar.

"The idea was to see if I could get help from the mental health community.

"He was very interested and agreed that private psychiatric assessment of the homeless would be the thing to do. I expect he will now do that.

"I anticipate he will have someone on his team go out there and assess these individuals privately. I don't think these assessments take long.'' Dr. Brown, himself a physician, believed the testing would start in Parsons Road. But he hoped it could be done Islandwide.

"Based on these findings we are going to recommend some treatment. Then, from that we can let other people take over with job placements or whatever may be the appropriate next step.'' Dr. Brown added: "Although I won't be present during all of the testing I will be monitoring this. I anticipate social agencies will take over.'' Sri-Lankan born Dr. Markar last year replaced former Chief of Psychiatry Dr.

Richard Lament who returned to Vancouver, Canada, after three years in the post.

In an interview with The Royal Gazette shortly after his appointment, Dr.

Markar, who was trained at the University of Edinburgh said there was a need to destigmatise the issue of mental illness.

Yesterday, he could not be contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, the Corporation of Hamilton stated it was aware of an increasing number of homeless folk in the City.

"It is not a Parsons Road problem or a Salvation Army problem or just a City problem,'' said Corporation secretary Roger Sherratt.

"Many of our homeless are from all over the Island and they have a wide variety of problems, some of which were described by Dr. Brown.'' In Hamilton, said Mr. Sherratt, there were homeless people in various places, not just Parsons Road.

Other areas included Union Street outside the Bermuda Industrial Union headquarters, the Co-Op Supermarket, Front Street in the car park near the Supermart and the Horse Canopy, many parks and public toilets.

Psychiatric testing they should not be allowed to hang out in our public toilets and parks, but they obviously have to go somewhere during the day.'' Mr. Sherratt said one partial solution looked at for some time was a day-time centre where the homeless could spend leisure time and possibly receive some skills training.

"The Corporation has participated in discussions with a Homelessness Committee set up by Mrs. Luelle Todd at the Ministry of Health and Social Services.'' The committee, said Mr. Sherratt, was made up of representatives from Health and Social Services, St. Brendan's, the Health Department, the Salvation Army, the housing authority and such people as Fern Wade, founder of the Hands of Love ministry.

"I know they were looking at renting a building in the City as a drop-in centre for the homeless but unfortunately it was no longer available.'' Mr. Sherratt said it was only recently homeless people had set up camp on the Parsons Road sidewalk.

"I understand that our sanitation staff has been cleaning up the area for the past week after complaints about abandoned vehicles and other garbage being left in the vicinity.

"They have removed several abandoned old vehicles and went by there to remove some trash and items left lying around on the sidewalk.

"They did not remove anyone's personal possessions. This sort of clean up is done quite often in other areas around Hamilton where the homeless tend to gather and leave large amounts of garbage lying around.'' Sleeter agreed and said he did not think the Island would see any radioactive fish popping up around Bermuda because the sub was too far and too deep.

White House advisor Frank Von Hippel a Princeton professor and one of the United States' leading experts on plutonium told The Examiner: "It's a big ocean...the plutonium spill is not something that I would get immediately alarmed about. But it would be nice if one could clean it up.'' The sub sank east of the Island after an explosion and fire that killed four crew members.

And of the many Soviet subs that sank in the Cold War, it carried the largest compliment of nuclear equipment.

When it went down in early October 1986, a US Department of Defence spokesman told The Royal Gazette the likelihood of a radiation leak was "minimal''.

The spokesman also said corrosion of the sub's nuclear equipment would be "very slow . . . in spaces of thousands of years''.

And then Premier Sir John Swan stated: "We have been in touch with British authorities and have been assured there is absolutely no danger of a radioactive leak.'' But Greenpeace environmentalists, calling the sinking a "maritime Chernobyl'', challenged the Government assurances there'd be no radiation contamination.

Man charged in cocaine case A 27-year-old man appeared at Magistrates' Court last week charged with importing $35,000 worth of cocaine into Bermuda.

Kirkland Butterfield, of 8 West Park Lane, Pembroke, is accused of having 140 grams of the drug in his possession on August 12 and having cocaine with intent to supply in St. George's Parish.

Magistrate Cheryl-Ann Mapp set the case down for mention on December 20.

She released Butterfield, who is represented by Archie Warner, on $5000 bail on condition he surrendered his travel documents and reported twice a week to Hamilton Police station.

Sleeter agreed and said he did not think the Island would see any radioactive fish popping up around Bermuda because the sub was too far and too deep.

White House advisor Frank Von Hippel a Princeton professor and one of the United States' leading experts on plutonium told The Examiner: "It's a big ocean...the plutonium spill is not something that I would get immediately alarmed about. But it would be nice if one could clean it up.'' The sub sank east of the Island after an explosion and fire that killed four crew members.

And of the many Soviet subs that sank in the Cold War, it carried the largest compliment of nuclear equipment.

When it went down in early October 1986, a US Department of Defence spokesman told The Royal Gazette the likelihood of a radiation leak was "minimal''.

The spokesman also said corrosion of the sub's nuclear equipment would be "very slow . . . in spaces of thousands of years''.

And then Premier Sir John Swan stated: "We have been in touch with British authorities and have been assured there is absolutely no danger of a radioactive leak.'' But Greenpeace environmentalists, calling the sinking a "maritime Chernobyl'', challenged the Government assurances there'd be no radiation contamination.

Man charged in cocaine case A 27-year-old man appeared at Magistrates' Court last week charged with importing $35,000 worth of cocaine into Bermuda.

Kirkland Butterfield, of 8 West Park Lane, Pembroke, is accused of having 140 grams of the drug in his possession on August 12 and having cocaine with intent to supply in St. George's Parish.

Magistrate Cheryl-Ann Mapp set the case down for mention on December 20.

She released Butterfield, who is represented by Archie Warner, on $5000 bail on condition he surrendered his travel documents and reported twice a week to Hamilton Police station.

HEALTH HTH