The principal of a Barbadian college where Bermudian students were involved in a fight yesterday insisted relations between his institution and Bermuda would not be affected.

Wendell Cozier of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic said the dispute which saw four students brought back to the Island was an isolated incident and in no way reflected any bad feeling between Barbadians and Bermudians.

"They have gotten along well for years and what happened was a one-off incident," said Mr. Cozier.

Newspaper reports in Barbados have described eyewitnesses as reporting seven fights on March 20, including one in which a cutlass was brandished.

Mr. Cozier has been quoted as saying there were, in fact, two incidents. Yesterday, he told The Royal Gazette the dispute between Barbadian and Bermudian students was over a piece of jewellery, and that nobody was injured.

The decision to bring them home was made by Bermuda's Government, which has refused to comment so far. The National Training Board has sponsored students on a variety of courses, including horticulture, computer repairs, carpentry and auto body repairs.

Yesterday, Mr. Cozier said the relationship between his college and Bermuda's Government was formalised by a co-operation agreement between the two governments.

Mr. Cozier said the Bermudian students added a dimension of cultural diversity to the polytechnic's annual register of international students, which are also drawn from the rest of the Caribbean, Africa and places as far away as Israel.

He added that the Bermudians had adjusted well to community life in Barbados.

The NTB has referred our request for a comment to Home Affairs and Labour Minister David Burch, who said in a statement on Wednesday night that he was aware of the incident but would not say anything further until he received a formal report.