Home Affairs Minister Derrick Burgess says he is ?appalled and embarrassed? by the latest anti-expatriate leaflet circulating the Island.

It is the second such hate-sheet to be posted on cars in the last week but is far nastier than the first one ? the gist of which was that foreign workers were un-needed and taking too much space.

However the new orange flyer blames foreign worker for most of Bermuda?s ills ? everything from fatherless homes, a high divorce rate, road congestion and even a lack of parking spaces.

It threatens: ?Don?t be surprised if your tyres are slashed or your family pet goes missing one day.?

It also takes a racial tone saying guest workers should go to ?white? countries.

In a statement issued last night Mr. Burgess said he was deeply concerned about the ?extremely offensive flyer?.

He went on: ?The flyer contains numerous negative remarks about guest workers, suggesting they are not welcome in Bermuda, attributing many of the Bermuda?s problems to them and even containing threats against their property and pets.

?Let me say at the outset I am appalled and embarrassed by the content of this flyer.?

He said the overwhelming majority of Bermudians recognised the contribution guest workers make to our community and welcome their presence ?wholeheartedly?.

He added: ?There are approximately 9,000 more jobs available in Bermuda than there are Bermudians to fill them, with the inevitable result that we must have guest workers in order to fill these jobs and to ensure our successful economy is maintained.

?Guest workers are our colleagues, neighbours and friends.?

However Mr. Burgess agreed some Bermudians are disadvantaged in the workplace.

?They feel they are not offered jobs for which they are qualified and that they are second class citizens in their own country.?

He said unsatisfactory practices in isolated areas of the workplace would be addressed in talks between Government, employers and unions.

Government was placing great emphasis on training opportunities for Bermudians, said Mr. Burgess, who said he had just met with the Workforce Employment Task Force whose goal was to maximise the potential of all Bermudians at all levels of the workforce.

He said: ?I am confident that the outcome of the Task Force?s work will be a workforce development plan that meets the immediate and long-term needs of Bermudians and local employers.?

The Minister concluded by saying the leaflet authors must be aware that there were Bermudians working abroad.

?I am sure, therefore, that they would not be insensitive to the discomfort and pain that Bermudian guest workers would feel if they were the subject of a flyer of this nature.

?The flyer is offensive and inflammatory and I believe most Bermudians would readily disassociate themselves from the extreme views it contains.?

Under the Human Rights Act 1981 the bill posters run the risk of $5,000 fines for unlawful discrimination ? repeat offenders could be jailed for three years and be fined $15,000.