The Corporation of Hamilton is carrying out its own investigation into the New Year battle that saw crowds of up to 1,000 people - including schoolchildren - gathered on Front Street.

Corporation Secretary Roger Sherratt said the corporation had been very concerned to learn of the events of Wednesday morning, particularly as two of its nearby facilities, No.1 and No.6 Sheds, were being rented out at the time and close to the disturbance.

Seven people were arrested for offences relating to the two-hour disturbance, including a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old boy, causing further concern for the corporation.

"We are investigating the circumstances with regard to the renting of our facilities that evening," he said.

Mr. Sherratt said there was a wedding reception in the Harbour Room at No.1 Shed, but he had been told by corporation staff that the party went off without any problems at all, and had closed down by 2 a.m. - 30 minutes before the riot started.

And there was also a New Year's Eve party being held at No. 6 Shed, but he said that, too, was believed to have concluded peacefully.

Mr. Sherratt said: "It does appear that all the trouble started outside (No. 6 Shed) on the street, and we are liaising closely with the Police to establish exactly what caused the problems and where the troublemakers came from.

"One thing for certain, the corporation will want to do whatever is possible to make sure this sort of incident does not happen again, and we will co-operate fully with the Police in trying to get to the bottom of what happened that night.

"We have actually been severely criticised in the past for not permitting people to hold functions on our premises where liquor might be sold or consumed by teenagers, and we will be reviewing what, if anything, needs to be done to keep these controls in place and to even tighten them if necessary."

The Royal Gazette has been told that the trouble actually started in No. 6 Shed between youths, leading the DJ to turn off the music and ask for the lights to be switched on.

It then spilled outside, and escalated.

The bride and groom from the wedding party were walking along Front Street to pick up her car parked outside No. 6 Shed when trouble flared. Her car was damaged by a thrown bottle, and, as a result, the newlyweds fled from the scene.