Bermuda?s singles population has reacted with a mixture of delight, incredulity, and downright cynicism to news that the Island has been voted the number one place in the world for a woman to find a man.

As reported on Thursday, a UK national newspaper with a daily readership of one million published a report entitled ?Mr. Wonderful? which said that eligible bachelors here far outnumber single women.

?Thanks to its status as one of the world?s premier tax havens, Bermuda has become a prime hunting ground for single women,? reported the Daily Express

?Their target: the hundred of male lawyers and accountants who have been shipped to the Island to keep their company?s accounts in order.?

Some women reacted with surprise to the news that they are apparently surrounded by eligible men just waiting to be snapped up.

Business analyst Ruth Flannery moved to Bermuda from Ireland several years ago for work, not romantic, reasons.

She said: ?Lawyers and accountants have been shipped to the Island for years and some of those lawyers and accountants keeping the company?s accounts in order, amazingly are women!

?I know no women who came here looking for a husband. I came here to experience living in another culture, experience new career opportunities in my own good job and maybe even save some of my own hard-earned money, all of which I?ve done.

?Finding a meaningful, lasting relationship with ?Mr. Wonderful? of course would be icing on the cake of living in Bermuda. If there is an abundance of eligible men on this Island, could you please let us know where they are??

And one woman rugby player, who didn?t want to be named after pouring scorn on the notion of Bermuda as a top venue for finding cute guys said: ?Mr. Wonderful ? who are they kidding? On this Island men want it all ? to be single, but get it when they want it! It?s because they see everything on the Island as temporary ? their jobs, homes, girlfriends etc. That might be a bit harsh but it feels true!?

However, other singles out and about in Hamilton?s bars at Happy Hour yesterday said that the news had struck a chord with them.

Sharlene Goobie, 27, an accountant from Hamilton Parish moved here from Canada six months ago ? and says it is true that there is an abundance of eligible men.

?I know lots of single guys and I would recommend other women to come here to find them,? she said. ?It?s the best place to be as the men have got good jobs and great social lives.?

Dennis Richardson, a 42-year-old Bermudian from Warwick said there do not seem to be many single women available in Bermuda.

?Where are they? Or at least where are all the good ones?? he asked. ?I think that this story is good news for the men of Bermuda.?.

Chartered accountant Chris Cyr, 29, who is originally from New Brunswick, Canada, and currently lives in Somerset said: ?I?ve been here six months and the number of single girls is very few which is a little bit annoying. All those women reading the should come to Bermuda ? the sooner the better!?

According to Dean Jones, 23, from St. George?s, Bermudian women?s attitudes are the reason why there are so many eligible men without a partner.

?Bermudian women think they are better than any other women, and that?s what makes it so easy for other women to come down here and find someone,? he speculated.

And another female rugby player, who preferred that her anonymity be preserved had the last word. ?I hear through the grapevine that some of the guys are ?Here for a good time not a long time? but some ladies are lucky enough to find love,? she said.

Jean Trott, who is originally from Washington DC, is married to a Bermudian she met while he was in the States.

Mrs. Trott, a civil servant, said while there is no disputing that there are more females than males on the Island, that does not mean it is a good place to come to find a man.

?When you take out those men who are in prison, and those who are gay what do you have left?? she asked. ?This story gives entirely the wrong message as it is very far from the truth.?