The Governor Lord Waddington has launched a scathing attack on a top British newspaper journalist for "insulting'' Bermuda.

Lord Waddington accused Mr. John Sweeney of writing an "infantile, insulting and almost certainly libellous'' article in the Observer Life Magazine.

The article entitled: "The last man in?'' appears in the May 8 edition of the magazine in the highly-respected British Sunday newspaper. And the Governor's picture appears on the front page of the magazine.

Mr. Sweeney believes Bermuda is a contender for the most boring place on earth and ridicules the traditional uniform of the Governor.

And he says that if Bermuda get independence "nobody in the great big world outside will give much of a damn.'' But a couple of pages about the Island and some history of Lord Waddington and then he appears to get into the main reason for the story, an 18-year-old court case in which the Governor was a defence lawyer.

Mr. Sweeney was in Bermuda for a couple of days during the visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in March. A period in which he formed his opinions of the Island.

He starts: "The palms sussurated (sic) in the mid-ocean breeze as the voodoo men came out to shake their sticks at the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

"Their performance was a revival of the West African dances shipped to the Island two centuries and more ago: a species of hokey-cokey slave culture repackaged for the taste of elderly (white) American tourists and visiting royals.

"But the Gombeys' masks, rainbow bunting garters and peacock headdresses looked less odd than the ceremonial uniform worn by His Excellency the Governor, Lord Waddington. He looked really silly.'' He goes on to say Bermuda is teetering towards Independence and then describes and interview with Lord Waddington.

Mr. Sweeney then describes Bermuda: "Bermuda is an analgesic paradise. Its propriety deadens.

"The eponymous shorts were created not as a larky fashion innovation, but to prevent the population from being driven wild by the sight of naked knees.

"The Island boasts pasteurised lawns instead of countryside, an acne of golf courses and a religiously observed speed limit of 20 mph. The sea and white beaches are achingly beautiful, the children polite, the micro-climate benign.

"The effect is to make Bermuda as life-enhancing as a Swiss bank by the sea.

It is a contender -- and this is a personal view -- for the title of Most Boring Place On Earth.'' The article mentions rock fever and discusses the two sources of revenue -- tourism and "tax avoidance.'' It discusses racism and the murder of the Sir Richard Sharples and the subsequent executions. Interviews on Independence include the Premier the Hon.

Sir John Swan and PLP MP Rev. Trevor Woolridge.

Mr. Sweeney continues by talking about Lord Waddington's previous role as immigration minister in the UK and states the Governor was "dogged with controversy.'' He continues: "In Bermuda he has not lost his talent for unwittingly generating farce. A year ago he crowned the winner of the Miss Bermuda Isles competition, a white woman, to complaints that charms of the Island's black contestants had been overlooked.'' Stating the Governor only gets a few mentions in the gossip columns of the British press, he discusses the appointment almost two years ago.

He says: "For a man with the taste for serious power, the Governor's job is more prune than plum. Why did Waddington get it? It was a consolatory sweetie lobbed by John Major, newly elected prime minister, who wanted him out of his Cabinet.'' Mr. Sweeney then goes on to the real reason for his article, a chance to discuss the case of Stefan Kiszko, who served 16 years for the murder of an 11-year-old girl.

Forensic evidence never appeared in the case and Kiszko, who had confessed under interrogation, was sentenced to jail. It was later found that he could never have committed the crime and he was released.

Mr. Sweeney appears to have reservations about Lord Waddington's defence of the case. But he concedes: "It struck me that Waddington was not the ogre I had expected.'' Lord Waddington read the article and said: "I think it's infantile, insulting to Bermuda and, less importantly, insulting to me. It is almost certainly libelous.

"He is sour about everything -- about Bermuda, about the Premier and about the Royal Family.'' Turning to the Kiszko case the Governor said Mr. Sweeney had been dishonest in not mentioning the fact that two Police officers are presently facing trial over withholding forensic evidence which would have stopped the case.

Asked if he would take action against Mr. Sweeney, the Governor said he felt it was "demeaning'' for an advocate to get involved in such proceedings.