Working at the company, Radio Cabs, was an everyday drama of personality clashes and conflict between the generations.

And eventually there was a violent scene between characters called Jennifer Butterfield and Ann Berkeley -- radio operators who sat across from each other.

Words "passed between'' Butterfield, 30, and Berkeley, 54. And the plot reached a climax on January 10 with Butterfield facing an assault charge and Berkeley being treated for an injured neck.

Berkeley, of Brunswick Street, Hamilton, testified that two days before the assault she had spoken at a staff meeting and raised the subject of how younger workers behaved on the phone.

Over the next two days Butterfield "threw jeers'' in the workplace, said Berkeley. "She said she was sick and tired of the older adults and she was not going to take it.'' On the day of the assault the sarcastic jeers about older people and herself continued, said Berkeley. "She took both of her hands and squeezed them as if she was going to lose control and grip me. I never answered her the whole time.'' Eventually, said Berkeley, she heard her name mentioned again. She got up out of her booth and stood about four feet from Butterfield.

"She pointed her finger at me. She said she had had enough and got up out of her seat and ran to me. She put both hands on my throat and slapped my body in the wall at the same time.

"I didn't raise my hands to hit. I don't like fighting. I needed my job also -- I didn't fight back.'' Butterfield's hands were pulled away by the supervisor, said Berkeley. Two hours later she went to hospital and was told she had a cracked vertebra.

The supervisor, Peggy Simmons, of Fork Lane, Southampton, told the court she saw Berkeley jump out of her booth and go over to Butterfield, pointing her finger. Butterfield jumped up, saying she was "tired of this ignorance'', and pushed Berkeley against the wall.

Butterfield, of Orchard Grove, Pembroke, pleaded not guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.

She said Berkeley came at her "like a raging bull'', making her feel threatened.

"She was pointing her finger in my face. I put my hand on her chest and I pushed her out of my face. I said: `I am not talking to you and I am not talking about you'. I did not grab Mrs. Berkeley around her neck.'' Butterfield also denied making offensive statements to older co-workers and squeezing her fists as alleged by Berkeley. At the staff meeting she had said younger workers learned their bad behaviour from older ones.

During the case, witnesses were urged to keep to the point and be quiet by acting magistrate the Wor. Michael Smith. At one point he told them: "We're not going into a soap opera here.'' He found Butterfield guilty of assault, and bound her over to keep the peace for a year.

He said: "This is a silly case which has had serious consequences. It is clear that the defendant did push the complainant up against a wall and that as a result she suffered injury. Exactly how the defendant grabbed the complainant is not certain.'' He told Butterfield: "It cannot be said that waving one's finger at someone warrants this form of abuse. But I am not certain you intended the consequence of your action.'' Berkeley and Butterfield are no longer members of the Radio Cabs cast, the court heard. Berkeley is a sales assistant and Butterfield is unemployed.