One boy got hit over the head with a bottle, the ceiling was brought down and "there was blood everywhere" after gangsters invaded Bermuda High School's after-prom party, according to witnesses.

Trouble-makers are said to have descended on the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to pick a fight with one teenaged boy as the graduates' celebrations ended in chaos in the early hours of Sunday.

Venue general manager David Furtado told The Royal Gazette yesterday: "Some questionable characters were allowed access into the club. They attacked an individual and destroyed some property.

"One gentleman had a chain. He swung it in the entrance foyer and brought the ceiling down. A young man got hit on the head quite badly by a bottle. There was glass everywhere. There was blood everywhere."

Police are giving away no details, but concerned parents have provided a number of accounts of the drama to this newspaper. One alleged officers arrived at the club with guns and terrified the students, but Police would neither confirm nor deny that claim.

Mr. Furtado said the event was not a Yacht Club function, and that the venue had been hired by BHS, which arranged security. BHS head Linda Parker said it was organised by graduates and their parents.

Mr. Furtado said it was impossible to tell how many gang members invaded the party, and how many bought tickets legitimately. He said CCTV footage from around 1.30 a.m. shows a large group wearing 'gang uniform' of white T-shirts, jeans shorts and white sneakers.

"Gang members were everywhere," he said. "It was total confusion. It was unfortunate, as is everything that is going on like this at the moment."

He said he believed there was an issue with one of the partying girl's boyfriends. That boy was allegedly hit over the head, leaving him needing hospital treatment for a number of ugly cuts, and the perpetrators escaped before Police arrived.

A girl is also believed to have received a cut in the face after getting caught in the affray, although reports on the severity of her injury are mixed.

"They came in, did their business and of course they left. It was a scary, scary incident," said Mr. Furtado. He added that one of his staff members was left covered in blood and shaken up.

One graduate's mother who contacted this newspaper said: "It did get very ugly. One boy ended up bleeding profusely.

"They are all quite upset about it. It's horrible to have this happen. They have all worked so hard to have it beautifully decorated. It was very unfair."

Another said: "These boys from town came in and started the trouble. One of them tried to stab this boy. There definitely was a situation where these boys came up."