A street party on Court Street was delayed by one hour last night -- because co-organiser Wayne Perinchief was bitten by a pitbull.

The former Assistant Police Commissioner had to go to hospital with a badly bitten thumb when he was attacked at around 6 p.m.

Festival organisers from the North Hamilton Business Association were just setting up when the PLP election candidate was set upon.

It is the latest in a string of recent street attacks by pitbulls.

But hundreds of residents and revellers still partied on Court Street last night, celebrating the first Friday night event in the run-up to Cup Match.

The street was the scene of a special ceremony to commemorate a historic slavery project last night.

Campaigners are already planning to sink a huge anti-slavery monument in the Atlantic Ocean to mark the "Middle Passage'', which thousands of slaves were ferried through between the 15th and 18th Centuries.

The monument, to be built 427 miles east of New York, will be unveiled after an official opening party sets sail towards it from Bermuda in June 1999.

Last night's event, hosted by local personality Daddy Gates, featured a range of speakers, entertainers and music to pay tribuite to Bermuda's African heritage. But the fun was put on hold when a stray pitbull launched into the attack on Mr. Perinchief.

Co-organiser Corin Smith said: "We were held up at the start because of what happened to Mr. Perinchief.

"Hopefully, he was not too badly hurt and everything will be OK. This was designed to be a fun, educational evening for everybody to enjoy.''