Canadians to go easy on the Island amid calls for a boycott of Bermuda after the bungled Becky Middleton murder probe.

Toronto Sun regular Jules Elder wrote: "I want the Middleton family to get justice.

"But I cannot accept tarnishing the good name of a mostly law-abiding people because of a few miscreants and possible inefficiency in the justice system.

"Those who erred are the ones who must be made to pay.'' Mr. Elder added that the judicial system in Bermuda had been heavily criticised in the wake of the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings, as had the Police.

And he said that the parents of the dead girl left the Island "very disappointed'' following the collapse of the case against murder accused Justis Smith.

But Mr. Elder added: "In the debate about the trial, it must not be forgotten that Bermudians everywhere are upset with what has gone on.

"Many have worked long and hard to maintain the good reputation of the vacation island.'' And he said that crime against tourists in many holiday hotspots was of concern to officials in these countries and the travel industry.

Mr. Elder -- a featured columnist in the Toronto-based newspaper -- quoted both Home Affairs and Public Safety Minister Paula Cox, who took time to meet Becky's father David, after the Smith trial ended with a ruling of no case to answer, and Tourism Director Gary Phillips.

And he welcomed the possibility of a probe into how the case was handled after all the legal avenues have been exhausted -- hinted at by Ms Cox.

Ms Middleton, from Belleville, Ontario, was raped, tortured and stabbed to death in the early hours of July 3, 1996, after a night out with a friend in St. George's.

Months later Kirk Mundy pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to five years in jail.

A later bid to have him re-charged with murder was knocked back all the way to the Island's final Court of Appeal, the Privy Council in London.

Smith walked free from court earlier this month after Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux ruled there was no case to answer due to lack of evidence.

The Middleton case sparked fury in Canada, with a website calling for a boycott of Bermuda until Ms Middleton's killer or killers were identified and convicted.

NEWSPAPERS NJ