Nearly two years after Hurricane Fabian brought death and destruction to Bermuda, Church Bay is an accident waiting to happen, an Opposition MP has claimed.

The popular South Shore Beach was wrecked by Hurricane Fabian in September, 2003 and has been closed to the public ever since because of the instability of the cliffs around the path.

However dozens of visitors regularly visit the unsafe beach, Southampton UBP MP Jon Brunson said.

?This is becoming an embarrassment to Bermuda and is totally unacceptable,? Mr. Brunson said. ?On any Saturday or Sunday you see 40 or 50 people who may have utilised the beach. This is most definitely an accident waiting to happen.?

The temporary railing is flimsy, he said, and the sign which states the beach is unsafe is regularly out of sight.

?The fact remains people access the beach ? it?s dangerous,? he said.

He said the danger of an accident has been made higher because summer is approaching.

Yet, the beach is still being hailed on many websites aimed at potential visitors as the premier snorkeling beach in Bermuda, he said.

In October, 2004, $150,000 was budgeted to repair the path down to Church Bay, which in places leads precariously close to a two-metre drop.

?It has been six months since October and to date nothing has been done,? he said.

Unsuspecting visitors are being dropped off at the unusable beach by bus or taxi drivers.

?They are stranded,? Mr. Brunson said.

Mr. Brunson spoke to one visiting couple who had been dropped off at Church Bay despite being told that the beach was closed because of the erosion of the foreshore.

?They said ?We are here now, we are going to take our chances?,? he said.

And Mr. Brunson said he has asked questions about Church Bay in the House of Assembly on many occasions without getting any answers.

?The Environment Minister says its a matter for Works and Engineering and Works and Engineering has done nothing to date,? he said.

?My final concern on this point, is that a gentlemen operates a small rental business from that beach and based on Works and Engineering?s commitment to repair the damage he has planned to return to Church Bay this summer. However it looks like he will yet again be disappointed.?

Mr. Brunson said that he contacted Works and Engineering Minister Ashfield DeVent, as well as the Ministry?s Permanent Secretary about his concerns more than three weeks ago ? but has so far received no reply.

Yesterday, however, Ministry spokeswoman Nea Talbot said: ?The Ministry of Works and Engineering and Housing is very keen to be environmentally sensitive to this area.

?Plans and site designs have been developed for the Church Bay Boardwalk and beginning in May, we will start putting the project out to tender, she said.