renewal of his and a string of other nightspot owners' liquor licences.

Oasis co-owner Mr. Tony Duggan blasted Police for calling his manager "not a fit and proper person'' to be managing the fashionable Front Street nightclub.

Meanwhile, two other nightclub bosses said the objections had taken them by surprise and that they had not been told what they were.

Mr. Duggan charged Central Parishes Chief Insp. Larry Smith's comments before the Liquor Licensing Authority this week were "extremely damaging'' to all three of his managers' reputations.

"We have had over one million customers (since doors opened six years ago) and only a handful of incidents,'' he said.

"Bermuda's population is only 60,000, yet how many incidents happen on the Island in a year? Are the police going to turn around and say that the Premier or the Government is "not fit'' to govern?'' Mr. Duggan said the Oasis conducted stringent background checks on all employees, including managers, before hiring them.

"We have a manager, Mark Osborne, who's absolutely upstanding -- a very pleasant fellow who is intelligent, extremely responsible and a very good manager of the Oasis.

"I'm concerned that this is extremely damaging to his credibility and reputation and also to that of our two assistant managers, Norman Hodson and Jason Bracewell. To assassinate someone's character without any proof is not acceptable in a democracy.'' Mr. Duggan said the club's staff were not "miracle workers'' and minor incidents "like the odd fight'' were bound to happen. "But our record is second to none,'' he said.

"We are the busiest nightclub by far on the Island, with over one million people coming through our doors in the six years we have been open. We keep our own records of incidents which have taken place over the years and you can count them on the fingers of one hand.

"We have never promoted indecent shows to take place or never even come close to doing anything that would remotely threaten our liquor licence.'' Mrs. Alreta Martin, manager of the Anchorage Bar on North Shore in Devonshire, said Police had not yet notified her of their objections when they were required to.

She added: "In all my 15 years here the Police have never bothered us or objected to our licence. We have little scraps every now and again but nothing out of the ordinary happened this year. I don't know what their problem is.'' And the assistant manager of the Sparrows Nest on Reid Street in Hamilton, Mr.

Larry Thomas, said the Police' objections had been "sprung'' on the club by surprise.

Police on Tuesday lodged objections to the renewal of six Hamilton and Devonshire nightclubs' liquor licences, citing fights and lax and unfit management.