Action has been taken to deal with growing violence against visitors, which was of "grave concern at the highest level,'' Acting Premier the Hon. J.

Irving Pearman assured yesterday.

He would be announcing Government's approaches to the problem by the end of the week, he said.

"For years we have unfortunately had handbag snatches involving visitors,'' Mr. Pearman said. "It is the threat level the crime has reached that is now of major concern to us.'' Government ought to be alarmed, the Opposition said in a statement attacking Mr. Pearman for displaying a wait and see attitude on tourist 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 said in the joint statement.

Police statistics they obtained further showed robberies and housebreakings were also up considerably this year.

There were 35 robberies in the six months to June compared to 60 in all of 1993, 54 in 1992 and 41 in 1991.

And there were already 288 housebreakings (within which Police include hotel theft) in the first six months off 1994 compared to 504 for all of 1993 and 449 the year before.

"The comments by (Mr. Pearman) that he did not see the current rash of crime against tourists as having reached crisis proportions and endangering our tourism industry must be greeted with deep concern,'' said Mrs. Browne Evans and Mr. Allen, the Shadow Tourism Minister.

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.'' It was "imperative that Government not rationalise the current outbreak of crime,'' the MPs warned.

It must ensure there are "adequate foot patrols in appropriate areas and that patrols are generally beefed up'' together with increased security on the hotels' part.

"We are conscious that many attacks on visitors have occurred in areas where there are small locally owned guest properties and it can only work against their viability if their guests cannot safely walk about at night,'' they said.

"We would hate to see Bermuda develop into just a large hotel `security compound' type of resort. Bermuda still has a well-earned reputation as a safe resort, but the time is now for action to it keep it that way.'' Mr. Pearman, commenting on former United Bermuda Party senator the Hon.

Michael Winfield's call for the appointment of a Cabinet committee to address crime and tourism, said the issue had already been fully discussed by Cabinet.

Mr. Pearman repeated his suggestion that hotels could help address the problem by involving their staff in keeping an eye-out and gently warning guests to secure their belongings when riding mopeds or going to sleep.

Crime against visitors was making "headline news'' and must be addressed before it was too late, he agreed.

Mr. Winfield, managing director of Cambridge Beaches, angered by yet another tourist couple's holiday being ruined by thieves, had written to the Premier asking him to appoint a special Cabinet committee to examine the impact of crime on tourism.

"I think this is maybe one of the most serious situations facing Bermuda today and we have got to stamp it out fast,'' Mr. Winfield said.

Mr. Winfield was the third hotelier to express concern over the rising violence against visitors.

Mr. C.W. (Toppy) Cowen and Grotto Bay Hotel resident manager Mr. Clyde Darrell met with Mr. Pearman last week about the problem.

At the meeting, Mr. Pearman blamed the axing of Bermuda College apprenticeship schemes for creating a generation of many "disillusioned'' young people who were turning to crime to make a living.

And he called on businesses to play their part in fighting crime by encouraging training and offering jobs to ex-inmates.

Hotels could also help by involving staff in anti-crime measures, he said.

"They can embody staff to respond to the problem positively,'' he said.