does not need another grocery store with a liquor licence, residents asserted yesterday.

Attributing past problems which have plagued Enterprise Grocery Store Ltd. to "rummies'' who allegedly patronise the store, the residents told the Liquor Licensing Authority that they had had enough.

"Bailey's Bay has paid its dues,'' said managing director of the Bermuda Perfumery Mr. Colin Curtis. "It's time for some other part of the Island to pay theirs. I think it's an unfortunate case where the greater good of the community has to take precedence over commercial enterprise.'' Liquor has been sold at the North Shore grocery store since it moved to its present site more than 40 years ago.

Burrows Lightbourn Ltd., a long-time liquor distributor to the store, bought the business 20 years ago, although the property and building are still owned by an estate.

The company brought in a succession of managers to run the store, the last of whom, Mr. John Soares, was knifed in the back during a robbery in 1990.

Poor sales and much harassment from the "rummies'' who took residence in a derelict building across the street from the grocery led Mr. Soares to retire last year.

Seven objectors yesterday argued the "rummies'' have moved and the area has been free from property damage, littering and theft in the year since the grocery closed.

Mr. Curtis said that while the store was open, he found used syringes on his neighbouring property and the perfumery's flowers and signs were damaged.

The Police, Grotto Bay Hotel and the Bermuda Perfumery have filed objections citing harassment of tourists by "rummies'' as one of their reasons.

And residents in the area including Mr. Randy Horton of the Tourism Department and his wife, Linda, condominium owners at Ducks Puddle, Mr. Michael Sousa and Mrs. Vicki Sousa, are concerned that reopening the store might encourage the "rummies'' to come back.

They argued that Shelly Bay Market Place was only two miles away.

MarketPlace Supermarkets, which recently took over a 20-year lease with Burrows-Lightbourn, yesterday argued why they should be granted a liquor licence.

Lawyer Mr. Michael Mello said both the supermarket and Burrows-Lightbourn have spent a great deal of money in renovations with the expectation that the licence would be renewed.

"The application for renewal should be reviewed in context of its new management,'' he said. "The business itself does not cause any disturbance.

It would be an unusually harsh and cruel punishment to force the business to suffer because of the acts of men.'' He said it was clear that the argument was not against the store, but against the inability of Police to protect the area.

And he argued that the board could restrict single beers, miniatures and half flasks from being sold.

Managing director of Burrows-Lightbourn Mr. Richard Hartley said Police never raised an objection to alcohol sales at the store before although aware of the disturbances.

"The problem is happening at a number of places on the Island. We've had husband and wife teams in there and they've proved to be problem tenants. It's the reason we've discontinued that. We now want to get professional supermarket people in there and professional management.'' Mr. John Carr, managing director of the MarketPlace, said the company had negotiated a 20-year lease with Burrows-Lightbourn which called for the store to be used as a grocery store with a liquor licence.

Liquor, he said, would account for approximately 15 percent of sales and 25 percent of net profit.

He said they had installed a complete security system and would be paying $54,000 rent a year as well as maintaining the property.

"We intend to turn it into a proper grocery store,'' Mr. Carr said. He added that he had successfully dealt with similar problems in the past with MarketPlace and would be using the same methods at the store if necessary.

Mr. George Robinson said guests of Grotto Bay often were verbally harassed by the "rummies'' as they walked past the grocery. And he said that one of those "rummies'' was caught with a cache of jewellery stolen from a hotel room the previous night.

The board said it would deliver its verdict next Friday.