Mike is a black male, under 25, who wears braids in his hair and has a mouthful of gold teeth. Baggy pants hang off his waist and often he frequents his Somerset neighbourhood with many of his childhood friends.

Mike, who attended private schools for the majority of his life, works full-time and does not have a criminal record.

The contradictions between image and reality that Mike (not his real name) personifies are mirrored in the debate over gangs in Bermuda.

Mike likes to party and have a good time with his friends and takes offence when people consider him a "gang" member.

"I don't think that I am, but if people in Bermuda classify gangs as a group of people hanging around, then that makes me one," he told The Royal Gazette.

And he admits there is an increasingly violent feud between "Town" and "Country", although his "crew" is not taking part in it.

"We're taking pride in the whole situation because you don't hear our name being associated with the madness going on," he said.

As he admitted there was definitely tension between "Town and Country", Mike said he believed the feud was growing worse with time.

"Every time you look, another person from either area is getting involved.

"It can start anywhere from beef over a girl to someone stepping on someone's toe by mistake," he said. "It seems like just a minute ago, I was 15. Now the 15-year-olds are following us."

And he said the violence could escalate.

"People are not going to stand by and watch their friends get hurt. When guys are in numbers there's no telling what can happen.

"If it doesn't stop, somebody's going to die," Mike said.

Although he said he is not afraid to travel to any part of the Island, the 23-year-old said there are some places he avoids: "I would not go to certain places if I know King Star (reggae sound) is playing because I know there's going to be a lot of Town people there and it feel like I'm running a risk.

"Some people don't even know why they don't like you besides for the fact that you stay in Country."

As he reflected on the recent murder of Shaundae Jones, Mike said the incident did not come as a shock to him because, as he put it: "That's the way things are happening in Bermuda these days. There are a lot of people in Bermuda with guns and the community needs to realise that people are going to use them."

"Any name-brand crew has access to a gun," he added.

When asked why witnesses were reluctant to assist the Police he said, as a whole, the youth, himself included, do not trust or like them.

"If I was at Club Malabar when Shaundae was killed, and saw something, I would not have told the Police anything. And I know that's kind of wrong.

"But people have always told me not to talk to the Police, even my parents."

And he said he did not believe the Police had the capabilities to solve major criminal cases such as the Jones murder case.

"They won't get anybody because this is a totally different situation. It seems as if nobody is going to come forward. To me, the Police rely on the public too much."

Asked whether he felt the public was unfairly labelling the young, black man, Mike was reluctant to say they were.

"How do we really know what the public is saying? What is their voice? Has an official opinion poll been taken?

"I don't know if the public is blowing things out of proportion because most people seem to have things in perspective."