A woman, startled after being approached by a man begging for money as she checked her mail box, is calling for tighter security at the General Post Office in Hamilton.

Juanita Mathias, a former owner of the Flamingo Beach Club, said she was checking her mail recently when she noticed a "large man'' nearby.

Ms Mathias said she paid little attention to the man while she retrieved her mail. As she turned to leave, she was confronted by a "very tall man was standing directly behind me asking me for money.'' Describing it as a frightening experience, Ms Mathias said she was complaining because it was not the first time that such an incident had occurred.

"This has happened on many occasions and twice with this particular fellow,'' she said.

And she is calling for better security, including a card system similar to that used by banks which have automated machines located inside their premises.

Ms Mathias, who said she no longer goes to the post office on weekends, said the area which stays open for 24 hours was a magnet for vagrants who prey mostly on females.

William T. Smith, Ms Mathias' boyfriend, said he was also concerned that there was an ATM machine located at the post office. "People can go in there and sleep,'' he said. "You don't know who is going to be in there.'' Mr. Smith suggested that the post office consider installing a silent panic button which could be hooked up to the Police station. The couple said they were speaking out because they did not want anyone else using the post office box section or ATM machines to go through a similar ordeal.

However, Postmaster General Clevelyn Crichlow said he has asked Police to check on the area many times and was satisfied that they have done so.

Mr. Crichlow also questioned why Ms Mathias took her complaint to The Royal Gazette two months after it occured. He said the problem, which he insisted was now under control, was once so bad that he used to eject people from the building himself in the middle of the night. "It has been free of vagrants, because Police have been doing their job,'' Mr. Crichlow said.

But he added that it would be impossible to have a guard there around the clock. And he said the mail box section could not be locked because some 2,000 people with post office boxes needed to collect their mail.

"There is one camera there near the ATM and we have plans to put up more,'' Mr. Crichlow said.