view of his distraught three-year-old daughter.

The tearful child's screams were ignored as officers hauled her father from his car and drove him away, eyewitnesses said.

One woman said she was alerted by the youngster's cries of "my daddy, my daddy'' as she passed by the scene in Hamilton.

"The child was left sitting in the back of the vehicle alone. Nobody was caring for her, so I took her out of the vehicle to mother her,'' she told The Royal Gazette .

The woman -- who did not wish to be named -- said she handed the frightened girl to a teacher at a nearby nursery school.

"I think the Police should be much more careful and more understanding when dealing with situations like this,'' she said. "There should have been a Policewoman on the scene to comfort the child.'' But Police yesterday strongly defended the way they handled the arrest, which occurred at about 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning said an officer had noticed the youngster's father had parked his vehicle dangerously at the junction of Dundonald Street and Court Street.

The man was given a parking ticket and appeared to become "outraged''.

"The officer had no choice but to arrest him and required assistance in order to do so.

"Once the man was safely in custody the arresting officer returned to the car to take care of the child.'' P.c. Venning said the officer found the child was being cared for by the nursery school teacher.

Yesterday staff at the Little Lamb Nursery School in Dundonald Street criticised the Police.

They said the child had a temperature, and her father had come to the school to pick her up.

"I just saw these Police officers manhandling the father,'' said Miss Carolyn Lambe.

"They had their hands up his back and handcuffed him. I was more concerned, however, for the child who was left alone in the car. She was screaming and crying when they took away her father.

"I was so upset that I broke down myself and cried.'' As many as eight or 10 Police officers arrived on the scene in cars, bikes and a paddy wagon, she said.

"They even blocked off the road.'' Miss Lambe said her cousin, also a teacher, took the child home to her mother in Warwick.

Among others who claimed to have seen the incident were staff at Dundonald Street Hair Design.

Owner Mr. Richard Trott and his daughter Mrs. Rosina Augustus later complained to the Police.

The woman passer-by who took the child from the car had been visiting Hair Design when the incident occurred.

"The child was screaming at the top of her voice. As a mother myself I could not just stand by. I had to comfort her, since she was really just a baby.

"The Police should remember that something like this will be implanted in this child's mind. They should have shown more sympathy.'' P.c. Venning, however, commented: "We wish to stress the Police were concerned for the child.

"It was because of the actions of the father that it became necessary for the Police to deal with the situation before they were able to attend to the child.'' P.c. Venning said the man was taken to Hamilton Police Station and later bailed, pending charges.