a horse bolted into his grandmother's yard and smashed his playhouse into pieces, the horse-owner has done nothing to redress the situation.

And when The Royal Gazette contacted the horse owner, Alfred Simmons, he refused to comment.

Meanwhile, nine-year-old Mario Swainson's grandmother, Janice Swainson, is furious that Mr. Simmons has done nothing to replace her grandson's playhouse.

She said: "He has offered to pay $700, but it costs much more than that to build it.

"I was told that to bring one to Bermuda from overseas would cost $1,600 or more.

"Mr. Simmons is procrastinating. I have told him that it has been long enough already. It's nearly been a whole year.'' On December 21, 1996 then Eight-year-old Mario narrowly escaped being crushed under a horse.

He was playing in a playhouse in his grandmother's yard and decided to switch to some swings.

Minutes later a run-away pony jumped an embankment and crashed onto the playhouse, smashing it to pieces.

The incident happened while Mario was playing outside at his home on Portland Square, Somerset.

The horse belonged to Alfred Simmons, whose Rushy Lane home backs onto Mrs.

Swainson's house.

At the time Mr. Simmons said his six-year-old pony, called Casey, was tethered to a tree in his garden when something must have scared the animal.

ANIMALS ALS