SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth -- West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor was arrested by police in Junction, St Elizabeth on Wednesday night on charges of improper conduct, assaulting police and resisting arrest following an altercation with a police officer at a bar in Junction.

The 25-year-old Taylor, who is currently recovering from a back strain after breaking down on the recent West Indies tour of Australia, was granted bail early yesterday and is to appear in the Santa Cruz Resident Magistrate's Court on January 12.

Inspector Lanford Salmon, who is in charge of the Junction Police, told the Observer that Taylor was in a bar some time after 11:00 pm when police officers visited and reminded the bartender that under the law governing the granting of Spirit Licences, the establishment should have been closed at 9:00 pm.

Salmon said a policeman -- a sergeant -- was in the process of ordering the bar closed and warning the bartender of prosecution when Taylor intervened.

An altercation developed during which the fast bowler is alleged to have verbally abused the policeman and "pointed his hand in the sergeant's face". Taylor was subsequently arrested and charged.

Taylor, a native of Aberdeeen in northern St Elizabeth, is routinely considered by cricket analysts as the leading Caribbean fast bowler, alongside the Barbadian Fidel Edwards, who is also recovering from injury.

Taylor's career has been dogged by back and side injuries. The latest occurred after he had bowled just nine overs in the first Test between Australia and West Indies at Brisbane in late November.

Australia won that match by an innings and 65 runs and went on to win the three-match series 2-0.

Taylor, who took no further part in the series, has played 29 Test matches and captured 82 wickets at an average of 35.64 each. Early this year he led the way with a spell of 5-11 in nine overs as touring England were routed for 51 at Sabina Park and West Indies won the Test match by an innings and 23 runs.

Jamaican police have been on a campaign recently to have bars and other retail and entertainment establishments abide by the closing hours as stipulated by Spirit Licence regulations.

The police have also been insisting that such establishments abide by the Noise Abatement Act in the use of music as entertainment. But such police action has been proving irksome to late-night patrons, long used to bars and other centres of entertainment staying open well beyond midnight with music as a backdrop.

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