bring forward the start of its third and fourth weekly peak-season flights, local manager Mr. Philip Troake said yesterday.

On March 3 next year, a third weekly service will be introduced on Fridays, followed on June 4 by a fourth weekly flight on Sundays. Both flights will operate through to mid-September.

Traditionally the fourth flight has been added in July and the third in April, while both have been cut in August.

"With the increase of frequency on our key European routes and better scheduling of connections to the Bermuda services we are convinced that an earlier start of the third and fourth frequencies will result in better loads for the beginning and end of Bermuda's summer,'' Mr. Troake said. "If successful, we will also evaluate keeping the third service year round. We are delighted that the growth in traffic has resulted in such a boost for Bermuda.'' BA believes the increase in passengers is due to more transfer traffic from England, Ireland and Europe.

DRUG PIPE FOUND IN `SMOKY' CAR CTS Drug pipe found in `smoky' car A St. George's man was fined $250 in Magistrates' Court yesterday after he was found guilty of possessing a pipe used with illegal drugs.

Ricardo Lee Wilkinson, 39, said he felt he was not guilty because he did not know the pipe was in his car.

But Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis found that the pipe was in Wilkinson's possession.

"Possession doesn't mean on you,'' he said. "You had the car in your possession and the thing was in the car.'' It was up to Wilkinson to prove that he did not know the pipe was in the car, Mr. Francis said.

Police Prosecutor Sgt. Rex Osborne said officers were called to Bermuda College on Roberts Avenue at 1.45 a.m. on September 5, 1993. They spotted a Mitsubishi car behind the Department of Technology. Its interior was "very smoky,'' Sgt. Osborne said.

Wilkinson, who was in the driver's seat, got out of the car as Police approached. So did another man who was in the passenger seat.

Police searched both men and the inside of the car, Sgt. Osborne said. On the floor of the front seat they found an ashtray with a miniature liquor bottle attached to it. A straw and a metal filing were attached to the bottle, he said.

"The bottle contained traces of the controlled drug cocaine. This set-up is used for freebasing.'' Wilkinson said he was paid $20 to let the man use his car. "I was dumb enough to let him do it.'' BUSY WEEKEND FOR ISLAND'S POLICE POL Busy weekend for Island's Police Police had a busy holiday weekend as they dealt with 35 road traffic accidents and five reports of assault, including two stabbings.

Four people were stopped for impaired driving, 25 cycles were stolen and 29 homes and businesses were broken into.

A 24-year-old Pembroke man received a minor stab wound to his lower back during an altercation with another man in one incident, while an 18-year-old Smith's man needed four sutures in his neck after being stabbed by another man in a separate dispute.

Six people were also arrested over the weekend for possession of illegal drugs.

COSTLY CAB RIDE FOR RUDE PASSENGER CTS Costly cab ride for rude passenger Offensive words to a taxi driver added $100 to a Warwick man's fare. Timothy J. Earley, 25, of Middle Road, pleaded guilty to the charge in Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Police were called to the Belmont Hotel at about 2 a.m. yesterday and found Earley "worse the wear for drinking,'' Police Prosecutor Sgt. Rex Osborne told court.

His dispute with a taxi driver appeared to be resolved when Police arrived, but Earley refused to leave and "started to curse the taxi driver in no uncertain language,'' Sgt. Osborne said.

Police warned Earley and finally placed him under arrest, Sgt. Osborne said.

Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis fined Earley $100.