A bank executive has left her job in the wake of revelations she said a Government minister should be shot The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Expatriate Bank of Butterfield trusts officer Sharon Lamb left her job at midday on Monday after Immigration Minister Paula Cox revealed the incident in the House of Assembly early on Saturday morning.

Sources say the woman's departure is not seen as censorship because the comments were told to junior staff who may be influenced to disrespect others even within the bank.

In addition, the Bank may also have seen the alleged comments as being embarrassing.

Ms Cox, who works for rival Bank of Bermuda's treasury department, told shocked MPs "reliable sources'' had told her a manager in a "significant institution'' made the shock statement to a group of Bermudian workers.

Ms Cox said the manager told the staff she did not know what Government's intentions were with regard to immigration.

She added her sources said the woman told her staff that the "best thing that could happen is for someone to shoot her (Ms Cox)''.

A spokesperson for the Bank of Butterfield said yesterday: "The person in question is no longer employed at the bank as of yesterday.

"While we were aware that certain statements were attributed to this individual, we have no knowledge of exactly what was said.'' Ms Cox said she was "disturbed'' by the incident and was amazed over "someone having the audacity'' to say such things, because of "disappointment'' at their perception of her government's policies.

She also suggested her "best efforts'' at discussion and conciliation about such issues as the granting of work permits and residency seemed to have been unsuccessful.

Contrary to the original report in Monday's paper, Ms Cox said a draft policy had been produced. No new policies have been implemented.

She said her party sees the "challenges of immigration policy'' as an opportunity to redraw the map of how immigration issues are solved.

Ms Cox was dismayed at the comments as she had tried to foster a "sense of partnership'' with the business community, and avoid such problems.