The Justice Ministry has accused the opposition of trying to alarm the public about safety and order in Paceville.

It said that, over the past few years, the Labour Party had tried to tarnish the work carried out by the police there.

Labour security spokesman Michael Falzon had criticised the police for taking their time in initiating an investigation into an alleged assault on a 17-year-old in Paceville.

Police Commissioner John Rizzo rejected the allegations of police tardiness in investigating cases, calling such claims “unfair and untrue”.

His comments came in the wake of criticism of St Julians police for an apparent delay in investigating the case of a teenager who alleged that he was punched, kneed and choked by five bouncers at a Paceville nightclub following an argument with a staff helper.

Mr Rizzo insisted that the police took immediate action: “We were there from the very first minute. Officers went to the club and took note of the bouncers’ names,” he said.

The police said the victim was asked to identify his aggressors on four separate occasions, including in the immediate aftermath of the incident and later, when his father confronted bouncers at the club.

This is contested by the teenager and his father who said they were never consulted by the police prior to October 30, when the story first appeared in the press.

The ministry reiterated that the police took immediate action denying that no action was taken or, worse, that police officers abdicated their responsibilities.

The police were always present at Paceville, the ministry said, adding that the place was known for its entertainment and no one could assume there would be no brawls in a place frequented by masses of people.