Bermuda has been branded in America as a troubled paradise plagued by crime and violence.

Now Tourism Minister David Dodwell has called for courts to get tougher with criminals who target visitors.

The Island's reputation has been dealt a blow after holidaymakers were robbed as they slept in their hotel.

One of the victims highlighted her plight in The Hartford Courant, a 210,000 circulation newspaper in Connecticut.

In a letter to the paper, Ms Patricia Regalbuti complained of drugs, violence in schools, thefts of scooters and break-ins.

One woman, the letter stated, died after someone broke into her house and robbed her.

Ms Regalbuti, from East Windsor, took issue with a travel article in the paper which claimed there was little crime in Bermuda.

"All is not well. Bermuda has not escaped the crime and violence that exist just about everywhere in the world today.'' Her claims have been backed up by a mini-crime spree this week.

Police reported thefts from visitors snorkelling off Darrell's Island and two cruise ship passengers at Horseshoe Bay also had possessions stolen whilst they swam. Both crimes occurred on Wednesday.

And at Chaplin Bay, two tourists were targeted by thieves, who took their belongings whilst they were in the water.

Ms Regalbuti wrote after a travel article appeared in the Hartford Courant in June.

The review, by Naedine Joy Hazell, lamented the expense of visiting the Island, but also stated "there was little poverty or crime''.

She complained of the price of eating out, room tax, accommodation rates and service charges.

"A small, unremarkable cup of hotel coffee can cost $3....If you bring a child with a penchant for plain pasta, expect to pay from $10 to $20..pretty funny, huh?'' it read. "Was it correct that a beer was $9, the waiter was asked. He assured that it was''.

On crime she says "Perhaps Bermuda's popularity is due to the lack of crime, meaning you can stroll down moonlight beaches without fear of being mugged''.

Mr. Dodwell said bad news travelled much faster today and even if people didn't write to their local papers, they would still tell friends and colleagues if they had a bad experience on Bermuda.

Such publicity, he continued, wiped out thousands of dollars of marketing in one go. He called upon Bermudians to help redress the balance in the eyes of visitors.

"Safety and security rank in the top five reasons for choosing a holiday,'' he said. "We rank very high on that in the list of destinations.

"I appeal to Bermudians to get tough because the person who commits a crime against a visitor also commits a crime against Bermuda.'' He said it was important to remember that an inherent part of the tourism product was safety and security.

TOURISM TOU