with the Bermuda Regiment over the weekend.

Three officers received cuts and bruises on Saturday morning while trying to clear a group of mock rioters from the US Naval Annex.

Members of the Regiment's Training Company, who played the part of the rioters, were given fruit to throw at Police. But they soon turned to rocks and molotov cocktails.

"We had a realistic exercise with realistic results,'' said Lieut. Col. Allan Rance, the Bermuda Regiment's Commanding Officer.

Through a spokesman, Police Commissioner Mr. Lennett (Lennie) Edwards said the joint exercise, which also involved the Bermuda Fire Service, was "generally a success''.

But it is understood that Police were not amused and vented their anger at a debriefing that followed the exercise.

"I think it's fair to say that the Police were concerned that the people who were injured were unable to report for their normal duty later in the day, or the next day,'' Lieut. Col. Rance said.

"I can fully understand with a force that is already stretched to its limits, to lose two or three people because of injury during training exasperates what manning difficulties they may face.'' However, "when there is role-playing going on, it is always a possibility that some people within the over-all group can get caught up in playing the role,'' he said. "Some individuals got caught up in the role playing, and played it with considerable excitement.'' But it was a matter of opinion whether anybody went too far, he said. The scenario for the weekend-long exercise was an industrial dispute at a fictitious tuna factory. There was turmoil between management and workers, and concerns about foreign interests purchasing and closing the factory.

The injuries occurred when officers protected by shields approached the first-year recruits and were greeted with flying rocks, along with the soft fruit intended.

"We had a dispute which we deliberately inflamed to some degree,'' Lieut.

Col. Rance said. "The pretend group started a fire and then were very interested in seeing the fire that they started succeed in doing the property damage they wanted it to do and trying to prevent the Fire Service from getting through.'' Police were sent in to secure the area for firefighters, and "that's when missiles were thrown,'' he said. "Whether it was rocks or something else, I couldn't tell you.'' Police were handicapped because their shields were shorter than the ones Bermuda Regiment members carried. Some Regiment members also suffered minor injuries, Lieut. Col. Rance said.

In addition to the Naval Annex, parts of the exercise were held at Fort Scaur and Ferry Reach. Hundreds of Regiment members joined about 40 Police officers and 15 firefighters.

The weekend -- which involved a radio exercise as well as the live drill -- was a rare chance to practise joint planning with the Police and Fire Service, Lieut. Col. Rance said. "It went off quite well.'' PLAYING ROUGH -- A molotov cocktail sails through the air at the US Naval Annex on Saturday as Police and the Bermuda Fire Service join the Bermuda Regiment in a training exercise. Police officials were unhappy after three officers received injuries in the exercise. More pictures, page 7.