THE University of the West Indies (UWI) on Wednesday threatened students with disciplinary action, and apologised to the cops who were a day earlier attacked and injured on the Mona campus after they attempted to rescue, from an angry mob, a 22 year-old man accused of being a homosexual.

The students hurled stones and rubbish at the alleged homosexual, claiming he had propositioned a male student inside one of the institution's bathrooms. The angry pack then turned on the cops, who had arrived in riot gear to lead the man to safety.

"The police advised that missiles such as bottles, stones and wood were hurled at them, and that three police personnel were injured and police vehicles damaged," the university said in a statement late Wednesday.

"The university deeply regrets the breakdown of the rule of law in this incident, and deplores the involvement of students and other members of the campus community in the attacks and wounding of the police and damage to vehicles. We apologise to the police for that behaviour, and will be following up with disciplinary action where possible," the statement issued by the university's public relations office said.

"We expect all members of the campus community to have respect for the laws of Jamaica and for the police in upholding those laws," added the UWI statement.

But even as the university apologised profusely, the Guild of Students maintained that both the students and the police had dealt with the incident inappropriately.

In fact, newly elected president of the guild, Dayton Campbell, criticised the police officers over their handling of the matter.

"The police were ineffective in handling the situation because they were there for quite some time before they brought the mob under control," Campbell told the Observer on Wednesday.

"It is an unfortunate situation," Campbell continued. "From the Guild of Students we do not condone the actions, neither from the accused nor from the students," he said, noting that as the more educated members the society students were expected to act with dignity and a certain degree of professionalism.

Meanwhile, the alleged homosexual man is scheduled to appear in court on April 10 to answer the charge of being in a prohibited area. He has been charged in accordance with provisions under the Trespass Act as he could provide no reason for his presence on the campus, according to the Half-Way-Tree police, who are said to be investigating the incident.

At the same time, head of campus security, Major John Nelson, confirmed that it was not the first time that the alleged homosexual man had entered the campus. The university, he said, was told by the Mona police that the man was escorted from the campus to the station by campus security earlier on Tuesday.

"It was alleged that he was accused by a student of peeping on him in a toilet in the Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciences," said the university's statement.

"He claimed that he went to the University Hospital to get a job and was walking through the campus to get a bus. He was escorted off the campus ... and warned not to return unless he had legitimate business.

"At about 6:15 pm on the same day, the man was again seen and identified in the Faculty of Humanities & Education on campus, and was chased by persons into the entrance area to Taylor Hall," the statement said.

Nelson also told the Observer that the man was picked up 18 months ago and escorted from the property and warned not to return.

Meanwhile, the guild and the university administration are expected to discuss the issue, but did not say when the meeting would be held.

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS