Spot fines for marine offences

Police are warning they now have the power to issue on-the-spot fines to anyone who commits a marine offence such as speeding on the water, littering or not having a valid boating licence.

New laws have come into force with the introduction of the Marine Offences Procedure Act 2006.

A Bermuda Police Service statement said: "This is a procedural change in the prosecution of marine offences which brings it in line with the longstanding method of dealing with traffic offences.

"In addition to streamlining the procedure, it will enable an offender, in most instances, to pay a fixed penalty fine rather than being required to attend court."

The Act gives Marine Police, Marine and Ports Officers and Fisheries Inspectors power to issue tickets for a wide range of offences including speeding, littering and not having a valid licence.

Culprits will be able to pay fines within seven days, without the case clogging up the busy court system. Fines listed range from $50 to $200, although the most serious cases will still attract bigger fines and go to court.

Last month Attorney General Larry Mussenden expressed frustration that the Act had not been immediately signed into law but Governor Sir John Vereker had chosen to send it to London for approval.

Senator Mussenden said the bill need not have been sent to London for such consideration as the Police currently have the power to summons someone to Court for a marine offence. However the Bill was signed well before Cup Match.

Intruder robs tourists of $1,400

Visitors staying at a guest property in Paget had $1,400 in cash stolen by a night-time thief in the latest string of burglaries reported on the Island.

The overseas guests believe that sometime between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. last Wednesday the culprit entered their room and made off with the money.

The burglary was only discovered when the guests awoke in the morning.

Two daytime burglaries in Smith's Parish on Tuesday are being investigated by Police. The first is thought to have taken place sometime between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.

Someone entered a property at Kilderry Lane while the occupant was away and stole a pair of silver cuff links, ten pairs of gold earrings, three gold necklaces, two gold pendants and a Toshiba laptop computer.

Also in Smith's Parish, at Cameron Close, a burglary was reported to have taken place sometime between 1.15 p.m. and 4.45 p.m. the same day. The thief stole $1,700 in US dollars.

A burglary is being investigated by Police at Boundary Terrace in Devonshire.

Some time between 1.30 a.m. and 6.30 a.m. on Tuesday somebody gained entry to an apartment and stole an undisclosed amount of cash, a silver digital camera, several items of jewellery and personal items. Inquiries into all these incidents are underway.

Burglar steals flat screen TV

A burglar stole a Sony Wega flat screen TV from a Railway Trail, Devonshire home last week.

Also that morning, a burglar stole a Compaq laptop computer, a Casio digital camera, a Pentax digital camera, DVDs and a pair of Gucci sunglasses from a North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish home.