weekend after getting a host of complaints from angry holidaymakers.

A group of around 50 young men brought Thursday afternoon chaos to Horseshoe Beach, which was packed with people enjoying the Cup Match break.

And people walked off the beach in disgust after the soccer players upset sun-bathing Bermudians and visitors, hitting them with the ball and kicking sand on them.

And one angry woman said Police who responded did nothing to help. The flood of complaints started after the men refused to move their game to a quieter part of the beach.

A 19-year-old Warwick woman said: "The ball kept getting kicked at us -- no one ever apologised -- so we moved twice to get out of the way of the game, but the game would just move up and it kept happening.'' She added: "We weren't the only ones who had to move. I saw a tourist couple just get up and leave. That is not what Bermuda and Cup Match should be about.'' This disturbance led to various complaints to the lifeguards on duty, who called in Park Rangers and the Police.

One Police officer called to the scene was ignored as the footballers played around him.

He called in more Police to assist, but the Warwick woman -- who asked not to be named -- said the five Police officers were of little help.

She said: "They did not even seem interested in what was going on -they were more preoccupied with people they knew on the beach.'' But Park Officer Craig Bert insisted the cycle section which arrived was "instrumental in helping with the situation''.

And he asked: "What are four or five Police going to do with a crowd of 40 to 50 people?'' Mr. Bert said eventually the game just broke up and there were no more problems.

The life guards on duty refused to comment on the problem.

But the Warwick woman said the bad behaviour was part of a larger problem of lack of discipline among the young.

She said: "It makes me realise that there is a serious lack of respect among the young people of Bermuda for other people and authority, and as a young person myself that really concerns me.''