denied ever making threats against Paula Cox.

And Sharon Lamb said last night she holds no ill will toward Bermudians or to her staff, even though she has now lost her top executive job.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette exclusively, Ms Lamb said she came to Bermuda to work at the Bank of Butterfield six years ago knowing that she would be training her eventual replacement and other young Bermudians, which she did gladly.

While she will be writing to Ms Cox to refute the claims, Ms Lamb has no idea where her career will take her.

Last week Ms Cox told Parliament that a manager in a local company told her staff that the "best thing that could happen is for someone to shoot her (Ms Cox)''.

The manager was reportedly upset at Government's plans at work permit reforms which Ms Cox said were only in draft form and had come after consultation with the business community.

Ms Lamb, who is British, said: "I thought your readers would be interested in the truth. I totally refute the comments attributed to me concerning Ms Cox.

Ms Cox has a "political mandate to pursue'' from Bermudians, she said, adding: "And I certainly do not wish her, or anyone else in Bermuda any harm.'' She recognises the "danger'' of making such statements and that anyone who knows her "would not think me capable of such stupidity''.

"I made no such statement to staff, or to anyone else,'' Ms Lamb continued, "and the accusation that I did has been made purely to discredit me by people who choose to remain anonymous.'' She said her job was advertised recently and was told on February 10 -- only 12 days before her work permit expired -- that her position would be Bermudianised, by a Trinidadian man, married to a Bermudian.

She was asked to stay on for three months on a temporary permit to shadow her replacement, which she accepted, something which she believes shows goodwill toward the bank and her staff.

When asked if there was any incident in the last weeks of her employment that may have been used against her, Ms Lamb said she had called together all of her staff except her replacement around February 14 or 15.

Her replacement was left out because she did not want him to feel "awkward'' or uncomfortable.

"I could hear the whispers that I was going,'' Ms Lamb said. "They were genuinely sorry to see me go. It was extremely amicable. I got along with my staff.

"I certainly wouldn't have called them together like that and said anything negative toward Bermuda or Ms Cox,'' she added. "If I had been disgruntled or upset, I would not have accepted to stay on and help train someone. I did not want to leave the Bank in a lurch.'' She was "surprised'' to be told on Monday about "tension'' with staff and that she would be let go.

Ms Lamb added: "I didn't believe it. Someone wants me off the Island. It's quite possible there is a grudge against me.

"Over the last six years I have constantly trained a succession of Bermudian employees, including my replacement to do my job.''