Police are hoping for calm after arresting a suspect in connection with the assault of a 21-year-old man outside Court Street's Spinning Wheel nightclub.

And, say Police, a gathering of people armed with machetes and knives, and apparently vowing retaliation for the attack does not necessarily mean gang warfare has broken out.

And The Royal Gazette can reveal a man lost part of his ear when he was set upon at "a Front Street" nightclub last week.

"The fleshy portion of his right ear lobe was bitten off," said a Police spokesperson. The victim, a 28 year old male resident of Smith's parish, had the piece of ear reattached at King Edward VII Memorial hospital.

There was "nothing to suggest" the incident was gang-related, said the spokesperson when asked.

A 26-year-old Pembroke man was taken to Hamilton Police station, but "has since been bailed while enquiries continue".

Police would not confirm reports reaching our newsroom that the incident happened at Club 40.

"It happened in a licensed premises on Front Street," around 3 a.m. on August 5, said the spokesperson.

Police had issued appeals to people urging them not to take the law into their own hands in the wake of the incident early Monday morning. It was feared that retaliatory attacks were being planned.

"Police officers attended Court Street and an area known as the Pear Tree Monday night following reports of about 20 persons, some armed with knives and machetes who had converged there supposedly in retaliation of an assault on a man outside the Spinning Wheel on Court Street early Monday morning," reads a statement issued yesterday.

"We implore persons associated or aggrieved by the previous incident to stay calm and not take the law into their own hands. It is imperative that the normal course of justice is followed. Please leave it to us to do our job."

A 20-year-old Pembroke man was subsequently arrested on assault and "other" charges at the airport yesterday in connection with Monday's initial incident. Police confirmed the man had planned to board a flight to New York.

Early Monday morning outside the Spinning Wheel club, a man was beaten while a crowd stood by watching.

Initial reports had it that the man was beaten by more than one person. But Police said yesterday that they had sought only one suspect and claimed they now have their man.

Police are keen not to encourage speculation that gang warfare has erupted on the Island. The broadcast media has reported impending war between Jamaican and Bermudian gangs.

"You might get those reports," said Inspector John Dale. "We don't want to speculate on whether it's gangs or not. We like to stick to the basics - it's a group of people.

"I know people want to speculate it's gangs, but it's a group of people.

"It's the media that speculates it's gangs. But we've not been specific."

The arrested man is not Jamaican.

He added that there remains a heightened alert in the Court Street and Pear Tree areas. "We've increased our vigilance in light of recent incidents."

Another arrest is not anticipated, in connection with the Spinning Wheel incident, he added. "Initially it was a one-on-one (altercation)" said Inspector Dale. "Apparently it started inside the Spinning Wheel and it escalated onto the street."

He said it was "to be hoped" that the arrest and the Police's appeal for calm would help to satisfy the community "that the Police had been doing their job and the natural course of justice would follow".

"We urge in the future for people not to take the law into their own hands so we can all live together in a peaceful community."