Two visiting couples whose holidays were ruined by thieves spoke out yesterday about the rising crime rate and lack of warning given to tourists.

One couple had valuable jewellery stolen from their hotel room while they slept and the other was robbed at knifepoint on the railway trail.

Canadian couple Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bailey ended their holiday in Bermuda yesterday with this to say: "We just want to let you people know we will not be coming back.'' And Mr. and Mrs. I.S. Mackenzie called on the Tourism Department to swallow its pride and "admit that unfortunately there is a criminal element on the Island'' and start warning visitors of it.

Mr. Bailey contacted The Royal Gazette yesterday fuming over the theft of his watch and his wife Patricia's wedding band and diamond ring.

"I've stayed in central America, St. Martin, St. Barts and I've never had anything like this happen,'' he said.

The goods were stolen on Thursday night while the couple slept soundly in their room at the Hamiltonian Hotel.

The thief apparently used an outdoor chair to climb from the ground up to their second-floor room. He then slipped in and out through a sliding glass screen door.

The visitor said he realised his was not an isolated incident after learning a second room at the hotel was broken into on Thursday night.

Mr. Bailey hit out at the lack of security at the Hamiltonian, noting he had "not seen one security guard or policeman'' on the property this week in spite of reports in The Royal Gazette that hotel security was supposedly being stepped up.

He was also angry at the time it took detectives to come to the hotel yesterday morning to start investigating the theft.

They had to sit an hour without being able to shower or touch anything so as not to spoil any fingerprints, he said.

The Mackenzies, the victims of an armed robbery on the railway tracks last year, wrote a letter to the Gazette's Editor yesterday criticising the Tourism Department for giving visitors what they said were false assurances.

They returned this year for a vacation and after reading articles this week on crime and tourism they decided to make their feelings known.

Pointing a "finger of criticism'' at Tourism, the Mackenzies wrote: "When we visited the Caribbean the previous year we were advised to always take care, not to walk in lonely areas or leave belongings unattended.

"We did not...become overly cautious -- we accepted this as sensible advice for our own safety.

"However, from the moment we arrived in Bermuda we were assured from all sources that the Island was virtually crime free. We were, therefore, totally unprepared and shocked to be robbed at knifepoint whilst walking along the railway trail.'' Tourism literature recommended the tracks as "an ideal way of both seeing and enjoying the beauty of the Island!'', they noted.

"We were later told by a young Police officer that he would never allow any members of his family to walk certain sections of the trail. So why are visitors encouraged to do so? "Much as it might hurt Bermudian pride, is it not time to admit that unfortunately there is a criminal element on the Island and publicly advise visitors to be suitably aware? "Sadly it is a sign of the times world-wide that this should be necessary in many countries including the UK.'' Unlike the Baileys, the Mackenzies said they were fond of Bermuda and would be returning.

Concerns that crime was reaching a critical point were raised by hoteliers this week.

Former United Bermuda Party senator the Hon. Michael Winfield called for the appointment of a Cabinet committee to address crime and tourism.

The Acting Premier the Hon. J. Irving Pearman has assured the problem is of "grave concern to Government at the highest level'' and action was being taken to stamp it out.

Meanwhile, the Opposition issued a statement saying Government ought to be alarmed over the amount of visitor crime.

Purse-snatchings for the first half of the year were already up 100 percent over 1993, MPs Mrs. Lois Browne Evans and Mr. David Allen pointed out in a joint statement.

Immediate action was needed, they said, claiming their calls for more parish constables and foot patrols "fell on the deaf ears of the UBP Government''.

Police confirmed the Opposition's claims in a news conference this week.

Apart from a soar in handbag snatches, traditionally a crime against visitors, in the first nine months of this year there had been 935 break-ins at houses, stores, offices and other properties.

This was 48.78 percent up on 1993's total of 623 for the same period.

It was also significantly higher than figures for 1992 (595), 1991 (716), and 1990 (658).

The statistics do not give a breakdown on which crimes related to guest houses and hotels. Police hope to provide these details in future.

Police were addressing the problem by calling out the night-time reserves to do night-time patrols.

RUINED HOLIDAY -- Toronto couple Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bailey vowed never to return to Bermuda yesterday after a thief broke into their hotel room while they were asleep and stole all their jewellery.