Party plans turned sour for a 19-year-old woman who had arranged to celebrate her 20th birthday with friends and family at the Captain's Lounge.

After organising to pay $245 for 50 to 70 guests, cake, decorations, food and music, Miss Adenike Carmichael was told her plans for the January 16 party would have to be cancelled because "there always seems to be violence connected to parties that took place at the Reid Street lounge'', Mr. Melvin Dillas of Captain's Lounge told her.

Miss Carmichael also said Mr. Dillas told her that his liquor license would be up for review and he did not want bad publicity to affect it.

"I was so hurt and angry,'' Miss Carmichael told The Royal Gazette in a letter to the Editor.

"Mr. Dillas also told me that from now on he would only be hosting parties for people 25-years-old and older. My disappointment turned to flat out anger,'' Miss Carmichael said.

She added: "Mr. Dillas had a verbal agreement with me and broke that. He was also unprofessional in conduct.

But the Captain's Lounge manager this week defended his decision, adding that it was made by the bar's management committee.

"I told Miss Carmichael I would get back to her when she first called me. She made the booking over the telephone and I said it would confirm it with her,'' Mr. Dillas said.

At a committee meeting a few days later, it was decided the bar would not do outside parties for under-25s, Mr. Dillas said.

"Before Christmas we had some problems with people aged 18 to 25. We find that youngsters are a bit too aggressive. If you say no hoods they do it anyway to defy you. Whatever rules and regulations we put down, they seem to go against them,'' he said.

And he admitted the beginning of the year is a crucial time for bar and restaurant owners applying to renew their operating licences.

"What we don't need is something on our record,'' he said. "This age group are not just aggressive to the establishment -- they are aggressive to each other.'' The committee also feared having to turn away regular customers if they went ahead with the booking which was slated for a Friday night -- a busy night for the Reid Street bar.

But Miss Carmichael took issue with the policy that all young people are disruptive.

"His views are valid, we have become a very violent society, but his view that my family and friends, who ranged from 18 years-old to 50, posed that same threat of violence to his business are totally unfounded,'' she said.

Miss Carmichael also said that Mr. Dillas expressed distrust in people under the age of 25, but "he has reinforced it with his new policies of having parties for people of that age and over.

"It is obvious that his faith lies in the saying `one bad apple spoils the bunch'.'' She stated that although Mr. Dillas apologised for inconveniencing her and her family and friends "he ruined my birthday.

"I would like to ask all people under the age of 25 not to go to Captain's Lounge,'' Miss Carmichael said.

She added: "It is obvious that as a consumer we are not taken seriously and we are a threat, as far as violence is concerned. Why patronise a place that views us that way?'' Miss Carmichael also said that despite Mr. Dillas' change of mind she and her family and friends still went to the Lounge on her birthday.

But Mr. Dillas confirmed the Lounge would continue to refuse under-25 events for the time being.

"It is not a permanent policy but we will be looking into things like better security.''