The United Bermuda Party has picked Jeff Sousa as its candidate for Warwick South East — a seat currently held by former Premier Alex Scott.

Mr. Sousa, president of Sousa's Landscape Management Company, said crime and education were the biggest issues on the doorstep while he also came out against the Southlands hotel development which is planned for the constituency.

He said: "Most Bermudians, like myself, want to see new hotel products but we need to build on brown field areas."

The seat is seventh on its list of UBP target seats. The party must hold its current 13 seats and win six more if it is to form the next Government.

Last time Mr. Scott, who has continuously represented the Warwick area for the Progressive Labour Party since the 1993 election, was 96 votes ahead of Opposition challenger Bob Richards.

Asked if he faced an uphill struggle, Mr. Sousa said: "I don't think so. My family have lived in Warwick for hundreds of years."

Mr. Sousa, 47, said he would be action-orientated as he voiced concern over high crime levels in the seat which has come up as a major issue when speaking to voters.

He said: "I spoke to one gentleman who had the only house not broken into in his entire neighbourhood — because he has three dogs. That was at the back of the Rocklands estate.

"People are living in prisons in their homes."

He hinted the party were about to unveil a new policy on crime while he said the UBP was also committed to reforming education.

Mr. Sousa, sits on the Technical Education Advisory Committee which comes under the National Training Board. Married, with two grown-up kids, he is Director of Hamilton Rotary Club.

The Royal Gazette understands in Sandys parish lawyer and former MP Ed Bailey is the front runner to be selected as the UBP's man to take on PLP incumbent Michael Scott in Sandys North.

Fellow Sandys resident Sarah Burrows and Country Squire pub manager Donald Hassell are the front runners to fight the neighbouring seats. All three constituencies are PLP strongholds.

Meanwhile the PLP are staying tight-lipped on the future of Randy Horton who lost out to Government advisor Marc Bean in his bid to get the backing of his local branch in Southampton West in the race to be selected as candidate for the coming election.

And another door appears to have shut for Mr. Horton as Sandys South Central branch reselected Walter Lister as its choice for the election which most pundits predict will be called this summer.

However, candidate selection in the PLP is a three-part process with the branch selection being reviewed by a candidates selection committee who take into account opinion polls before making a recommendation to the central committee.