The Royal Gazette has decided to cease publication of the Dilbert cartoon with immediate effect, following a racist rant by its creator, Scott Adams, on a YouTube video.

According to the Associated Press, Mr Adams, who is White, repeatedly referred to people who are Black as members of a “hate group” or a “racist hate group” and said he would no longer “help Black Americans”.

“Based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to White people is to get the hell away from Black people,” Mr Adams said on his Wednesday show, which is called Real Coffee with Scott Adams.

In another episode of his online show Saturday, Mr Adams claimed he had been making a point that “everyone should be treated as an individual” without discrimination.

“But you should also avoid any group that doesn’t respect you, even if there are people within the group who are fine,” Mr Adams said.

In a joint statement, Royal Gazette publisher Jonathan Howes and Editor Dexter Smith said: "The Royal Gazette has a long history of defending freedom of speech, especially when it is speech which people may not wish to hear.

"However, this does not include hate speech which Mr Adams's comments most assuredly are. In common with many other members of our industry, we will not provide a platform or financial support for those who espouse racism, discrimination or any form of hate speech.

"This decision would be easy to make in any circumstance, but in the context of Bermuda's own history of slavery, segregation and racial discrimination, this is a decision we make unhesitatingly. There is no room for racism in Bermuda or the world."

A replacement cartoon will be announced shortly.

Many US newspapers including The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times have announced they are dropping the cartoon.