THOUSANDS OF FANS OF THE BRITISH POP MUSIC GROUP, "THE BEATLES", TURNED THE HEART OF HAMBURG, WEST GERMANY, INTO CHAOS LAST NIGHT (SUNDAY) AS THEY RIOTED THROUGH THE STREETS, BREAKING WINDOWS, THROWING TEARGAS BOMBS AND CAUSING TRAFFIC HOLDUPS. POLICE REINFORCEMENTS WITH DOGS AND LOUDSPEAKERS BARRICADED STREETS AROUND THE HALL WHERE THE BEATLES WERE PERFORMING AS TEENAGERS WHO HAD BEEN UNABLE TO OBTAIN TICKETS ROAMED THE CITY CENTRE.

THE BEATLES WERE IN HAMBURG AT THE END OF A FOUR-DAY TOUR OF WEST GERMANY. IT WAS IN HAMBURG'S "BEAT CLUB" SIX YEARS AGO THAT THEY BEGAN THEIR CAREER AS AN UNKNOWN BRITISH QUINTET. THE HALL WHERE THEY APPEARED LAST NIGHT WAS PACKED FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE, AND THOUSANDS MORE TEENAGERS WERE UNABLE TO GET TICKETS.

THE RIOTING BEGAN AFTER POLICE TRIED TO CLEAR THE STREETS AFTER THE LAST TICKET HOLDERS HAD BEEN ADMITTED. AN OFFICIAL SAID LATER THAT 40 YOUTHS HAD BEEN ARRESTED, AND THAT CELLS IN THE TWO POLICE STATIONS IN THE CENTRE OF HAMBURG WERE COMPLETELY FILLED. THE POLICE KEPT UP A CONSTANT PATROL OF THE STREETS AND THE CITY HAD RETURNED TO CALM AGAIN BY LATE EVENING.