What's been going on in Alderney

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A.� Riotous behaviour in the peaceful Channel Island haven. An angry mob of 30 drinkers besieged the only police station on Alderney after a man was arrested for alleged drink-driving. Stones were thrown as four policemen barricaded themselves in the station. Two officers were injured.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Q.� How was it quelled

A.� Members of the island's voluntary fire brigade, harbour staff, special constables and members of the public formed a counter-attack.

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Q.� Volunteers

A.� There are only four police on Alderney. They were inside the station. Ten officers were dispatched from Guernsey but could not travel by air as fog had closed Alderney's airstrip. The force does not have its own boat and had to use a fisheries vessel. It took until daybreak to take them the 20 miles.

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When they arrived, six people were arrested and two men remanded in custody accused of assault and resisting arrest. There's no jail in Alderney, so they are being held in Guernsey.

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Q.� What's to blame

A.� The finger is being pointed at the demon drink. Alderney's pubs are open for 15 hours a day.

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Q.� This must all be rather awkward with the holiday season coming up

A.� Indeed. Embarrassed islanders have been trying to recover their reputation as a peaceful, law-abiding community. The economy relies on 50,000 tourists - attracted by white sandy beaches and a simple lifestyle - every year. Most of the islanders want tough justice to keep their good name.

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Bill Walden, a member of Alderney's government, said: 'The incident is extremely unusual for Alderney and it's not something we want to set a precedent. I hope those responsible will be dealt with severely by the courts.'

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Q.� What's Alderney like

A.� It's the northernmost of the Channel Islands and only eight miles from France. It has an area of three square miles and a population of 2,400, most live in capital St Anne's. A tourism website boasts: No traffic lights, no roundabouts, no traffic jams. Speed limit: 35mph.

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Q.� Sounds a beautiful place. It is home to the rich and famous

A.� Not especially, although it's a tax haven and base for internet betting and other ventures that might wish to escape the Inland Revenue.

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One of its most famous residents was John Arlott, who retired there from the cricket commentary box with thousands of bottles of claret. He had drunk many of them by his death in 1991. Cricket hero Ian Botham also took a holiday home there.

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Q.� What about the rest of the islands

A.� The group, off the north-west coast of France, 90 miles south of England, comprises Jersey and Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm - and various tiny islets. The total area is about 75 square miles. The fertile soil is well cultivated. The islands send large quantities of early potatoes, tomatoes, grapes, and other fruits and vegetables to the English markets.

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Q.� Sark's also interesting

A.� Sark's smaller, and allows no cars, although tractors are permitted.

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Q.� Earliest settlers on the islands

A. First known inhabitants built megalithic tombs. There's evidence of Bronze Age settlements and the Romans built a small fort on the island.

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Q.� After the Norman conquest of Britain

A.� The French occupied it from 1338 to 1340. In 1559 it was leased to George Chamberlain. In 1660 it went to Edward de Carteret, who transferred it in 1661 to Sir George Carteret. Sir George's widow sold it to Edmund Andros of Guernsey in about 1682. Then it went to the Le Mesurier family. The island was heavily fortified by the British in the 19th Century and a garrison was kept there until 1930. In the Second World War, the Channel Islands were occupied by the Nazis, the only British territories where this happened. However, Alderney's community was evacuated to England in 1940, before the invasion.

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Q.� And now

A.� Alderney is now in the Bailiwick (the area governed by a bailiff) of Guernsey but it has its own local government. The president and States of Alderney (nine members) are elected. Communications are through Guernsey, to which Alderney is linked by air and shipping services.

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Steve Cunningham