THIS summer?s outbreak of shootings and gang violence has garnered further bad press for Bermuda ? this time in the Travel pages of the tabloid .

Referring to the July slaying of 18-year-old Jason Lightbourne and a series of earlier drive-by shootings, the US tabloid highlighted the growing crime problem on the island.

In a page lead article headlined , the feature asked readers: ?Visiting Bermuda any time soon? Be extra careful about the clothes you pack: Too much red might miff the Crips, too much blue and the Bloods will be out for yours.

?Yep, the kind of Menace II High Society-like shenanigans you?d expect in less, shall we say, secure climes, has finally come to the mid-Atlantic haven for billionaires.?

The author went on to refer to the ?gang-related murder? of Mr. Lightbourne, saying it was not an isolated incident.

?Earlier gang-related nonsense includes a bar shoot ?em up and a shocking drive-by ? an expensive ordeal considering Bermudans [sic pay over $6/gallon for gas,? the commentator quipped.

?Meanwhile, graffiti and tattoos affiliated with the Bloods and the Crips are popping up all over the British island,? the article continued.

?What?s going on? Police blame drugs. Bermuda?s narcotics sales total $200 million a year ? not a bad haul when only 65,000 potential users live there.

?The tourism industry, of course, is less than pleased, telling Travel that the Government would definitely be taking measures to make sure this craziness stops.?

The gunning down of Mr. Lightbourne made international headlines earlier in the year, with many news agencies and national newspapers giving over coverage to the rise in violence.

Tourism Minister Ewart Brown was later quoted as saying that such headlines did not promote the sort of image that Bermuda was trying to sell.