The Bermuda National Gallery has been accused of breaking a law barring foreign photographers from working on the Island.

However, the Gallery says it has done nothing wrong as Australian photographer George Jaksic was working for free.

Photographer Graeme Outerbridge lodged a complaint to Immigration after he stumbled across Mr. Jaksic snapping photographs of the Gallery's permanent collection last week.

He learned that the man worked for GeoGraphics, an Australian production company which uses samples of original museum works to create gift shop items.

He said it is illegal for foreign photographers to work for Bermudian organisations, directly or indirectly.

Mr. Outerbridge said: "I am shocked that a National Gallery that represents so many Bermudian and Bermudian resident artists would do something like this.

Where is the sensitivity to our local photographers?'' However, Chief Immigration Officer Dr. Martin Brewer warned not to jump to conclusions.

He said: "Photography is a restricted category in Bermuda, but in general, there's nothing wrong with someone doing something like this for free.

"It's awfully easy to jump to conclusions and the National Gallery isn't an employee who doesn't do the right thing. There has to be an explanation somewhere.'' He was unable to comment further as the matter is currently under investigation.

But Mr. Outerbridge said: "The argument that it was free is crazy. Would someone fly from Australia to Bermuda to do something for free? "It's very difficult to make a living here as a photographer. Any time a job is taken its loss is really felt.

"After so many years of fighting this principle of due process of Immigration, we're still on square one.'' "There are limits on doctors and lawyers able to work on the Island. Smaller sectors like photography deserve the same treatment if this system is going to be in place.'' "Personally, I hope the National Gallery is prosecuted fully.'' National Gallery director Laura Gorham said that GeoGraphics was in Bermuda on other business when they approached the National Gallery, offering to create free sample products of gift shop items inspired by the gallery's permanent collection.

She said: "The fact is that we wouldn't have had it done if we'd had to pay for it -- it wasn't in our budget. They offered their services for free and we said: `Okay, that sounds like a good idea.' "We knew that they had done work for the Aquarium in the past and we assumed that they had a work permit.

"If there's a next time we will inform Immigration. However, they weren't on the Island for us and we were under the assumption that they were kosher.

"We don't want to be on the wrong side of whatever is the right thing to do.'' In the past, GeoGraphics has worked with the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo and the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute to create gift shop products, although it is not believed that foreign photographers were employed in the process.

GeoGraphics receives a percentage of the wholesale cost of the materials produced in Australia.

Jack Ward, Principal Curator of the Aquarium Museum and Zoo, stressed that the Aquarium had never used foreign photographers in the production process.

"We never used any overseas photographers in our overseas production,'' he said. "That is what Mr. Outerbridge was incensed about.'' Complaint: Graeme Outerbridge IMMIGRATION IMM