The leader of a mas band that was prevented from crossing the stage on Monday night says the premature end meant his band did not have a chance of placing in the ­Couva Carnival.

He said through the competition, his band would have had the opportunity to earn a profit. But the band was never judged after police stopped the celebrations before the scheduled end on Monday.

On Tuesday, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service apologised for what it called a “misunderstanding” that led to night mas competitions being cut short by officers in Central and South Trinidad.