Hamilton Bus Terminal erupted into violence yesterday as an estimated 300 youths threatened a single Police officer.

A Police spokeswoman said the clash was sparked when a Parish Constable came between two unruly teenage girls.

One of the girls escaped, but the officer was suddenly overwhelmed by a horde of students as he attempted to arrest the remaining teenager.

The vastly outnumbered officer then made a request for back-up "in the most serious of codes'' and at the "highest level'' of urgency, said the spokeswoman.

Eyewitnesss accounts of the size of the Police presence varied from three to ten police cars.

There were six marked cars, two motorcycles, and two paddy wagons still in the area when a reporter from The Royal Gazette arrived shortly after 4.30 p.m.

Masses of students and commuters milled about in the area as buses fought their way around or through the packed street.

One witness said the situation escalated after the arrested girl tried to escape from a Police car, but was pushed back inside by an officer.

"There were two little girls... and then half the Police force was here in a flash,'' he said.

"Then all the children came round and you couldn't see anything after that.'' A few of the onlookers apparently jumped into the melee in a misguided effort to help a fellow student, he said.

"They probably didn't like the way the Police were handling it,'' he added.

Another man agreed: "It started with two girls...then some guys got mad and their boys started encouraging them. It was just crazy.'' But some witnesses also questioned the mass display of Police force and tactics used to restrain the teens.

"That was plenty of abuse for little kids -- they manhandled those kids,'' said one. "The more Police that came, the worse those kids got.'' Four boys aged 16 and above were arrested in connection with the fracas. The spokeswoman said they would be held in custody overnight and were scheduled to appear in Magistrates' Court today.

The 13-year-old girl first arrested was set to be bailed and released last night. Police are treating the initial fight as a separate incident and investigations are continuing to apprehend the second girl.

Ironically, a surveillance camera directly facing the bus terminal -- which was one of the first of its kind to be installed -- was not operational.

One Policeman suffered a bump to his forehead in the outbreak, said the spokeswoman.

And this afternoon the Task Force will provide a "serious Police presence'' at the terminal.

"Because of this incident today they want to send them a message,'' she said.

"They don't want anything to escalate.'' But there is currently no policy in place requiring an ongoing police presence at the terminal.

The last student outbreak at the terminal occurred in the summer of 1997. In that incident a hostile crowd of some 200 youths threw missiles at officers and three young men were arrested.

Anyone with information about the latest incident is asked to contact Sgt.

Lewis or Insp. Smith of the Task Force at 295-0011.