to lay their traps inside the reef.

The new policy came into effect last week and will run through to the end of the lobster season.

Lobster fisherman can only lay traps within the designated areas on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays until March 31, 1998.

These areas, set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, consist of a 17 square mile western site and a 14 square mile eastern zone.

The western zone is the triangular area located within the Western Blue Cut, Wreck Hill, and Chub Head Beacon.

And the eastern zone encompasses the rectangular area between North Channel, North Rock, and the North East Beacon.

Existing navigational beacons and buoys along with new yellow drum buoys have been positioned along these boundary lines to clearly define the areas.

Senior Fisheries Officer Dr. Brian Luckhurst said: "This system of rotating area closures was designed to sustain and protect the lobster population.'' Lobster fisherman are required to bring ashore five of their 15 Government-owned traps before they are permitted to bring the remaining ten into one of the inshore zones.

In keeping with the practice established last year, lobster divers are advised not to do so within the new inshore areas.

Dr. Luckhurst said this policy was intended to "maintain spatial separation between commercial lobster fisherman and recreational lobster divers.'' SLEEPY DRIVER ESCAPED UNHARMED AC Sleepy driver escapes unharmed A weary driver who fell asleep at the wheel escaped unharmed after her car careened down an embankment yesterday morning.

Police spokesperson Evelyn James Barnett said a 31-year-old Pembroke woman fell asleep at the wheel of a car around 1 a.m. Monday as the she travelled west along North Shore Road near Shelly Bay in Hamilton Parish.

The car entered the east-bound lane, crashed through a wooden railing and careened down an embankment onto the shoreline outside Shelly Bay.

Luckily the woman was not injured, nor was a male passenger who was also in the car. However the car was extensively damaged.

Anyone with information on the accident should call P.c. Paynter at St.

George's Police Station at 297-1122.

And a 28-year-old Devonshire man was arrested by Police on suspicion of impaired driving following a road traffic accident on South Shore near Ariel Sands.

Ambulance and fire personnel were called to the scene but the man refused medical assistance and was taken to Hamilton Police Station where he was processed and bailed.

CHRISTMAS WARNING CRM Christmas warning Police yesterday issued a holiday reminder to the public to keep a close eye on their belongings.

Police spokesperson Evelyn James Barnett said locals should not leave their handbags, wallets, Christmas gifts and other valuables unattended.

"Christmas is a time when habitual thieves are joined in number by seasonal thieves and other opportunist to prey on the unsuspecting,'' she warned.

"Open office environments, cash register stations, unattended staff rooms are some areas where Christmas thefts are particularly common, as are Christmas gifts exposed on or under the seats in secured cars or placed in cycle baskets.

"Be vigilant. Lock valuables away, out of sight!''