Women are being used to smuggle guns into private parties because they are less likely to get searched, can reveal.

An informed source said that, once inside, they were given to the male owners who would then brandish them to impress friends.

Rumoured sightings have included sessions at No.1 Shed.

One Police source said information on gun sightings cropped up regularly but the Emergency Response Team is only called out when the information comes from a very good source.

Calls are often malicious attempts by criminals to get Police to disturb the activities of rivals.

Tightened security at airports makes it near impossible to bring guns via planes so most are arriving by sea from either cruise ships or yachts.

The information has come to light as posters denouncing gun use have been put in night clubs across Bermuda following the unsolved murder of student Shaundae Jones.

And organiser Crime Stoppers is especially pleased Club Malabar had taken one.

Bermuda College student Shaundae from Smith?s Avenue, Warwick, was murdered with a single shotgun blast to his chest outside that club in Dockyard in April. Crime Stoppers Bermuda said its Gun Awareness poster campaign has been well received by club and bar owners and the organisation has been buoyed by direct calls from establishments requesting the posters.

Crime Stoppers chairman David Pugh said: ?Crime Stoppers is delighted with the very positive response the gun poster campaign has had in the community.

?Since Christmas we have installed 18 Gun Awareness posters in public rest rooms around Bermuda, primarily in popular night spots. Not one club or bar has turned us down.?

The posters remind the public that guns are lethal and encourage innocent bystanders to report any knowledge they may have of illegal gun possession to Crime Stoppers.

Crime Stoppers regional coordinator Alex McDonald said the posters had been put in toilets with different messages for men and women.

The male version has a man pulling back his shirt to reach his keys and revealing a gun while the female version has a handbag with a gun and driver?s licence spilling out. The toilet location was chosen because of the captive audience. Mr. McDonald said women were being targeted because they might have a boyfriend, friend or acquaintance who had gun and the posters might jog their conscience.

He reminded the public that calling Crime Stoppers could lead to a reward and pointed out that calls were handled in Florida and could not be traced. Chief Inspector Stuart Crockwell, the investigating officer on the Shaundae case, said there had been no further feedback from the community, despite posters offering a reward for information on murder suspect Kenith Clifton Bulford who is believed to have skipped the country.

But he said the investigation was still active. ?We are doing other things that I am not at liberty to speak about. The investigation process is still wide open.?

Police have already linked up with Interpol and authorities in New Jersey where Bulford spent eight years after skipping bail during anti-drug Operation Cleansweep in the 1990s.

If you have information call Crime Stoppers 24-hour confidential hot line on 1 800 623 8477.