The men grabbed some $285 from the Serpentine Road, Pembroke shop at about 1 p.m. on Thursday. Now Police want anyone who saw people acting suspiciously in the area at the time of the raid to come forward and call Chief Insp. Carlton Adams on 299-4315.

One suspect is about six feet, two inches tall and heavily built. He was wearing dark clothing, a helmet and dark sunglasses.

The other is about five foot ten inches tall and slimly built. He was wearing dark clothes, sunglasses and woollen gloves.

Police say the men entered the store, pretending they were returning a beer.

Store owner Gene Lines, 58, beat them off with a large bottle of wine after the larger man leapt the counter and grabbed and punched him while his accomplice went for the till.

HOTEL BOOKING IMPROVE IN FEBRUARY TOU Hotel bookings improve in February Hotel bookings are showing encouraging signs of increasing.

The Bermuda Hotel Association said the occupancy rate for February was 35.5 percent, 1.1 percent over February last year and 4.7 percent above 1995.

The occupancy rate for March is expected to be 43.9 percent -- almost ten percent down on the same time last year.

However, April and May are forecast to be well above last year's rates, with hotel and cottage colony occupancy projected at 49.6 percent in April and 56.2 percent in May.

BHA executive director John Harvey said: "They are not as good as the good old days in 1987. It is still a nice, encouraging little sign and I hope it carries on.'' POLICE INVESTIGATE SEXUAL ASSAULT CRM Police investigate sexual assault A man entered a house and sexually assaulted a woman as she slept in her bed, Police reported yesterday.

At about 3.30 a.m. on Saturday Police were called to a house on Ferrar's Lane, Pembroke. A woman said she returned home at about 1.30 a.m. and went to bed about 30 minutes later.

"She was woken up at about 3.20 a.m. by an unknown man who leaned over her and sexually assaulted her,'' said Police spokeswoman Evelyn James Barnett.

"She began to scream and the man fled.'' The man is described as having a medium build and wearing a dark, hooded top.

COMET HALE-BOPP VISIBLE FROM ISLAND SCI Comet Hale-Bopp visible from Island Comet watchers have a few weeks to catch a glimpse of Comet Hale-Bopp as its passes near Earth.

The comet is expected to be visible for the next few weeks in the early morning and evening skies as it moves to the west and south.

People watching in the evening should look to the northwest where the comet is about one hand's width above the horizon at about 7 p.m.

Morning viewers should look to the northeast before sunrise -- but the comet will sink to the horizon later in the month.

SNOWSTORM DELAYS AIR CANADA FLIGHT FLY Snowstorm delays Air Canada flight Sun-seeking Canadians en route to Bermuda's balmy shores were delayed by some four hours on Friday.

For Air Canada's flight 942 was grounded in a blizzard that blanketed Toronto in snow. The flight eventually did take off from Pearson International Airport in Toronto and landed at 5.05 p.m.