Bermudians are the friendliest and most honest people in the world according to a Delaware couple visiting the Island.

And Mr. Tom and Mrs. Cindy Battles were full of praise for taxi driver Mr.

Eliston Woolridge who went to a great deal of effort to return an $800 camera which Mrs. Battles had left in his cab.

His kindness has disproved earlier stories knocking Bermuda's friendly image, the visitors said.

Mr. and Mrs. Battles are staying at Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort. Mrs.

Battles said: "We took a taxi to St. George's and when we got there I realised I had left my camera in the cab.

"It is a Minolta camera, worth about $800, which was given to me as a 30th birthday present.

"My husband told me I may as well forget about it, and I thought I would never see it again. I had no idea who the taxi driver was.'' But the couple did not count on the honesty of Bermudians. Mr. Woolridge took the camera back to the hotel and then went to St. George's to tell the couple he had found it in his cab.

A delighted Mrs. Battles said: "I was so surprised. If this had been New York, Delaware or some of the other islands I have visited, the camera would certainly never have been returned to me.

"This is the most wonderfully honest place I have ever been. And the people here are friendly.

"I read in the paper this week that Bermudians are not friendly but that is just not true. I just had to tell you.'' Mrs. Battles was referring to a story in The Royal Gazette earlier this week when Independent MP Mr. Harry Viera said the notion that Bermudians are the friendliest people in the world is "a fiction''.

SNAP HAPPY - Fans of honest Bermudians, Cindy and Tom Battles with the camera they thought was lost.