A brutal mugging, which left an American visitor in critical condition in hospital, has led to fresh calls for a legal crackdown on crimes against tourists.

And Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell said crimes against visitors should attract tougher sentences than similar offences against residents.

He said: "We have to start considering that crimes against tourists are crimes against the economy.

"And we have to start looking at crimes against tourists being treated more severely than crimes against locals.

"Whether it's higher fines, stiffer prison sentences or whatever, we have to think about this.'' Mr. Dodwell lashed out after a 29-year-old US visitor was beaten and robbed in a horrific city centre attack.

The man was rushed to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with a suspected fractured skull.

A hospital spokeswoman last night confirmed the man -- who has not been named by Police -- remained in Intensive Care, but reclassified his condition as "fair''.

Mr. Dodwell stressed that he did not mean to suggest that crimes against Bermuda residents were less serious.

He said: "I have a huge amount of sympathy for anyone who is mugged -- but the impact of a crime against a tourist is much greater.

"And it would send a stronger message to the community here that these criminals are not only endangering the life of the victim, they're impacting on the lives of everybody else as well.'' And he added attempts to rebuild Bermuda's tourist industry would be damaged by negative publicity over the safety of the Island for visitors.

Mr. Dodwell said: "When we're trying to do everything we can to turn tourism around, one of these events sends such a ripple of bad news, sometimes it's difficult to overcome that with marketing.'' The attack happened on Monday night around 11.30 p.m. near the corner of Court and Victoria streets after the man had left a Front Street bar.

The mugging came only days after Tourism Minister David Allen and MPs from both sides of the House of Assembly slammed attacks on tourists as "a dagger at the heart'' of Bermuda.

That warning came after an incident involving a bag-snatch from a woman taking a ride in a horse-and-buggy near the Southampton Princess and an earlier alleged incident when a US tourist was threatened with a knife by a cabbie.

Attack puts visitor in hospital Mr. Allen did not return calls from The Royal Gazette yesterday.

But Acting US Consul General Sylvia Hammond said: "We are always concerned when American citizens are attacked abroad and we encourage them to use their common sense, be aware of their surroundings, and if they have any concerns they should contact the US Consul's office.'' And she promised the US Consul's office would do everything it could to assist the victim of the attack.

Ms Hammond added: "We haven't been informed of this, but we will be contacting the appropriate authorities to ascertain the facts surrounding his situation.'' Anyone with information on the attack should contact Det. Sgt. Jerome Laws at Central Division CID on 295-0011 or use the Crime Stoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.