IRISH and British tourists went on the rampage on the Spanish island of Tenerife after a row over Northern Ireland.
Bottles were thrown, shop windows smashed and cars wrecked as over 300 tourists clashed on the streets. Three British men were arrested.
The trouble flared early on Friday in the Las Veronicas area of the Playa de las Americas, a popular drinking area with more than 300 bars. Police had to evacuate bars and discos as trouble escalated in the area which was packed with 4,000 holiday makers.
Four policemen received minorinjuries and a police car was set ablaze.
The riot was sparked by a heated debate about the troubles in Northern Ireland.
Spanish newspaper, La Gaceta de Canarias, reported: "Las Veronicas was turned into a little Ulster for three hours." It claimed many of the people involved had been drinking.
The three men arrested were two Englishmen and a Scot named as Mark R (21), Paul B (19), and Craig M (18).
Spanish national radio said: "This is a trouble spot where British tourists have been involved in incidents before."
Mr Jesus Fernandez (22), who works in a hotel, said he was forced to flee when the violence erupted. "Fights break out sometimes but I have never seen anything like this. It was very frightening."
"I saw Scottish and English and Irish people fighting and the police were fighting too. It was very bad. I ran away, everybody was running away. I don't know what started it or why they were battling with the police. The people fighting were not drunk, they were just violent."