dragging their feet after his teenage son was beaten by a 20-year-old bully at his school.

And the past middleweight champion of Bermuda said while he was trying to be patient and wanted to let Police handle the matter, he was so frustrated by their lack of action that he began his own search for the man.

Mr. Thomas told The Royal Gazette the unemployed man, who he claimed "hangs around Berkeley Institute checking out female students'', entered the premises at lunchtime on Monday and punched his 17-year-old son, Belcario, in the eye.

Mr. Thomas said his son, who did not know the man, was left with a scar from his left eye to his ear and required stitches.

Noting that his son had problems with his eye as a child, Mr. Thomas said Belcario was experiencing pain and having problems seeing ever since the incident.

"This guy comes onto the premises, punches my son in the eye, and I was told he returned on Tuesday and Wednesday, when my son was not there, to finish him off,'' he said.

"I'm trying to be a law abiding citizen and I'm trying to set a good example for my son. But why should it take four days for a detective to contact my son?'' Mr. Thomas said he tried to contact the officer in charge of the investigation. But has had no success so far.

He said most of the assistance he has received came from Police in charge of the Warwick area who took a `sketch' report of the incident from him.

Through his own efforts, Mr. Thomas said he was able to find out that the man moved out from his parents two weeks ago and "has missed a tremendous amount of time from the army''.

"I don't know why the army hasn't had him arrested,'' he added.

Describing his son as a very disciplined and respectful young man, Mr. Thomas said he believed the man who attacked him was a relative or friend of a third-year Berkeley student who had a dispute with Belcario earlier this month.

But he said the dispute between the students was not physical.

And Mr. Thomas said if his son had been wrong, he would have made him apologise.

"We've taught him not to be a street-type individual who goes around fighting people and pushing his way around.

"My wife, Clara, and I have certainly set examples for our children to follow.'' But Mr. Thomas said he was "very frustrated that Police did not seem to be doing anything''.

"I'm not trying to put the Police down in any way,'' he said, "but they have a job to do. We deserve at least a phone call to say we're working on the case or we can't find the individual. They have our name and address.'' When contacted yesterday, Police spokeswoman Sgt. Andrea Browne said the incident was under active investigation.

She said even though Police had not yet taken a statement from Belcario, they spoke with him at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital on Monday.

And they were still looking for the accused man.

"A statement will be taken from the complainant in due course,'' she said.