A number of managers of Bermuda's hotels and guest houses said visitors should be warned about the Island's growing crime problem.

Manager of the Elbow Beach Hotel Mr. Horst Finkbeiner said: "We have displayed the signs supplied by the Department of Tourism telling people to be cautious in every hotel room.

"Every guest is also given a letter reminding them to lock their doors and use the safety deposit box for their valuables.'' He added: "We have a responsibility to make sure they exercise caution.'' Assistant manager at Longtail Cliffs guest house Miss Desnell Davis said visitors must be warned about Bermuda's crime.

She added: "It is not anything new, there is crime all over the world so they should be told, and the Department of Tourism should be responsible for doing so.'' And a manager of a cottage colony in Paget said visitors should be advised to be careful once they check into hotels without scaring them.

"Hotels should be the ones to warn them about locking rooms and securing their valuables.'' Joint owner of Sky Top Cottages Mrs. Susan Harvey said the question about whether or not visitors should be warned about Bermuda's crime problem is a really difficult question to answer and it requires a great deal of sensitivity.

"It is very easy to frighten people and give them an erroneous impression of the situation,'' Mrs. Harvey said.

However, she added: "On the other hand guests who are not warned that there could be a problem will sometimes leave their doors and windows wide open because Bermuda seems to be such a peaceful and unthreatening place.'' She also said guest house owners have to tread a fine line between causing people unnecessary anxiety and instilling in them reasonable caution.

"There is no doubt that the recent rush of thefts on our visitors has left a very bad impression with the victims returning to North America.'' Several hotel managers declined to comment on whether or not tourists visiting Bermuda should be warned about the level of crime.