A second taxi carrying passengers came under attack by gangs of masked motorcycle-riding youths carrying machetes and pitch forks.

Yesterday The Royal Gazette revealed that four men had been arrested on suspicion of stealing one taxi following an incident on Sunday night. The cab had been surrounded and attacked after arriving at the Mid Atlantic Boat Club to pick up a fare.

But Police have now confirmed that a second vehicle had arrived at the same venue at the same time and was chased along Harbour Road by armed motorcycle gangs who attacked it with machetes and baseball bats in a bid to get the driver to stop.

Police arrived at the Boat Club at the height of the fracas several minutes after 9 p.m.

A Police spokesman said a group of Warwick "country" youths leaving a birthday party were climbing into two taxis to go to Warwick. It was then that a gang of "town" youths from Devonshire appeared and attempted to launch an attack the country youths.

The town youths began hitting the taxis, prompting one driver to get out of his cab in an effort to stop them from causing any more damage. When the youths turned on him, however, fearing for his safety, he fled the scene.

At that point one of the passengers in the taxi made a desperate attempt to save himself and the other passengers, leaping into the driver's seat and driving the taxi out of the area towards Trimingham Hill. The second taxi also fled the scene towards Harbour Road.

At least six marked Police cars stopped the first taxi on Trimingham Road, arresting the four men inside and taking them back to Hamilton Police Station amidst protests they had been attacked with machetes. "However it was then ascertained that they were the innocent party, fearing for their safety and set upon by a band of unruly youths," said Police spokesman Dwayne Caines. They were later released.

Meanwhile the masked town youths had sprung on to about 15 to 20 motorcycles and chased the second taxi onto Harbour Road towards the Crow Lane roundabout, breaking windows and attacking the taxi with machetes, baseball bats and a pitch fork in an effort to bring it to a stop.

Mr. Caines said the taxi was heavily damaged, with broken windows, dents and a shredded rear nearside wheel.

Police believe the incident was the possible result of an earlier incident involving town and country youths on Sunday afternoon.

It was at a football game at the Somerset Cricket Club, ironically between the Bermuda Police and the Devonshire Cougars, that some youths appeared as though they were about start a fracas, according to Police.

The youths, reportedly some 25-30 from town and others from Somerset, were armed with machetes. However, although they appeared to be in an agitated state, the confrontation did not boil over into violence.

"Police are becoming increasingly concerned with the incidents of youth displaying anti-social and violent behaviour," stated Mr. Caines.

"60 to 70 percent of the disturbances that were received over the weekend were in response to youth behaving badly, culminating in a 15- and a 17-year old out at 3.45 a.m. and a 16-year old arrested for operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

"We are asking parents and guardians to be aware of minors' whereabouts at all times," he said. "Take care to get a name, a time, where they are going, when they are coming back, and if a responsible adult is with them or chaperoning the event.

"The Bermuda Police Service will be addressing this issue in a more formal manner in the near future."

Active inquiries into this incident are underway and Police are appealing for any witnesses to contact Hamilton Police Station at 295-0011 or the confidential Crimestoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477.