MONTEGO BAY, St James - The Western Mirror newspaper, based in this city, was yesterday forced to review its security arrangements in the face of threats from two men over a story alleging that gay men were responsible for a panty shortage here.

Angered by the allegations in the papers lead story - 'Panty Shortage Hits MoBay' - the men yesterday stormed the newspaper's offices and threatened the staff responsible for writing the story.

According to the story, gay men in the city were 'buying out' women's underwear, prompting the shortage. The article said that on one occasion a well-known gay couple was seen buying 35 underwear from a higgler at an arcade in the city.

The men allegedly entered the newspaper's offices yesterday and demanded to speak to the editor, Lloyd B Smith. Smith was, however, at lunch and according to one reporter, the duo became boisterous and insisted on knowing who had written the article.

"I did not see them myself, but members of staff who know them said it was them," Smith said last night. "They were expressing their concerns over the story and got very boisterous then threatened the staff, the property and the company," he alleged.

Smith said the men insisted that the reference in the article to a well-known gay couple was referring to them.
The Western Mirror editor, who described the men's action as 'brazen', said the company was reviewing its security arrangements to prevent a repeat of yesterday's occurrence.

Meanwhile, commanding officer for the St James police, Steve McGregor, said the matter was being investigated. "We have taken a statement from the management of the organisation and are pursuing the matter,".

This is the second time this month that alleged homosexual men have come to public attention in Montego Bay. In the previous incident, several men were chased, beaten and stabbed, resulting in one of them being hospitalised, during the Supreme Ventures carnival on Gloucester Avenue on April 2, after they went onstage and gyrated on each other.