Gazette can reveal.

For a glowing travel report in the Toronto Globe and Mail sparked a blizzard of e-mails complaining at the "tactless'' puff piece printed in the wake of the Rebecca Middleton murder probe fiasco.

Michael Vigodda is webmaster of the Rebecca Middleton Internet page -- urging a boycott of the Island until justice is done in the Middleton case.

He said yesterday an invitation to fax the Globe and Mail complaining about the travel article had got a good response.

He said: "We've collected 45 through our website alone. But people will be sending and we don't know about it.

"Chances are they have much more than that -- but it's impossible to guess.'' Mr. Vigodda was speaking after the Globe and Mail printed an article singing the praises of Bermuda on December 23 -- the same day Premier Jennifer Smith broke her silence over controversy surrounding the Middleton murder investigation.

Ms Middleton was raped, tortured and murdered after accepting a lift from two men on a bike in the early hours of July 3, 1996, on Ferry Reach, St.

George's.

Jamaican national Kirk Mundy pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the murder three months later and was jailed for five years.

Murder accused Justis Smith, now 20, walked free from court earlier this month after a judge ruled he had no case to answer due to insufficient evidence.

The Globe and Mail article -- by Sherry Spitsnaugle, of Denver, Colorado -- makes several mentions of Bermuda's "impeccable safety record'' and low crime rate. Mr. Vigodda added that the website -- which has already had 20,000 visitors in 10 days -- was expecting a rush of hits following a news feature on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Network programme last night, repeated later on the national 10 p.m. news.

He said: "We expect the number of hits to jump dramatically as a result of the network news. We've already had 400 hits and 60 new e-mails.'' And the Middleton case again hit the headlines today, with Mr. Vigodda being invited to appear on Canada AM -- a morning news show broadcast from the Canadian capital of Ottawa.

Mr. Vigodda added that Sunday's story on Ms Middleton and the row surrounding the failure to convict anyone of her brutal rape, torture and murder was also set to be featured on the international version of the Canadian news service.

He said: "There is a very strong feeling about this -- and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation expect it to be picked up by CNN in America as well.'' No-one from the Globe and Mail was available for comment yesterday and The Royal Gazette was unable to confirm whether the article was commissioned by the newspaper or a paid-for advertising feature.

Tourism Minister David Allen could not be contacted to discuss the article yesterday.

A people search on the Internet failed to turn up any information on Ms Spitsnaugle, apparently a freelance writer.

The Denver telephone operator said: "There is no listing for a Spitsnaugle in Denver or the surrounding area.'' And the duty editor at the Denver Star newspaper said: "Never heard of her.'' But it is known she has written travel articles for the Toronto Star and Denver Post.