Government has flagged up concerns about the tone of language on the official US Government website describing crime in Bermuda.

Travellers researching information ahead of any vacation to Bermuda are told that the Island has a ?moderate but growing crime rate?.

And visitors hitting the US State Department website are also asked to ?note an increase in gang presence in Bermuda?.

Home Affairs Minister Randy Horton, speaking between meetings during last week?s diplomatic trip to Washington DC, said the issue had been raised with US officials.

The tone of the site has been toughened up in recent years, triggering fears it could turn potential visitors away from Bermuda.

?We can?t determine what?s placed on there (the web site), but we will look to give representation to the US Consul General,? the Minister told .

?Hopefully the wording will not hurt us.?

Mr. Horton added: ?We want the Consul General to know that many of the events (mentioned on the web site) are sporadic and one-offs. They are not things that happen on a consistent basis.?

Most of the US State Department information contains common-sense safety advice, although the tone of the crime section has become more severe in recent years following a spate of machete-related incidents.

The website now states: ?Bermuda has a moderate but growing crime rate.

?Examples of common crimes include theft of unattended baggage and items from rental motorbikes, purse snatchings (often perpetrated against pedestrians by thieves riding motorbikes), muggings, and thefts from hotel rooms.

?Valuables left in hotel rooms (occupied and unoccupied) or left unattended in public areas are vulnerable to theft.?

It states that the US Consulate General regularly receives reports of the theft of money, valuables, and passports ? and tells travellers to keep their hotel windows and doors locked at all times.

The information continues: ?Travellers should exercise caution when walking after dark or visiting out-of-the-way places on the island, as they can be vulnerable to theft and sexual assault, and because narrow and dark roadways can contribute to accidents.

?Travellers should also note an increase in gang presence in Bermuda and should take regular precautions to avoid confrontation. The back streets of Hamilton are often the setting for night-time assaults, particularly after the bars close.?

Crime advice on rival Caribbean holiday hotspots, however, is much more severe.

The State Department web page on Jamaica says that crime there is a ?serious problem?, particularly in Kingston.

?While the vast majority of crimes occur in impoverished areas, the violence is not confined.

?The primary criminal concern of a tourist is being a victim of theft. In several cases, armed robberies of Americans have turned violent when the victims resisted handing over valuables.?

Crime is exacerbated because police are ?understaffed and ineffective?, the site continues, adding that the US Embassy tells its staff to avoid inner-city areas of Kingston and other urban centres whenever possible.