The mayor of Marsaxlokk has defended the council’s decision to have cameras in a public toilet, insisting they are switched off but serve as a deterrent to vandalism.

CCTV has been installed in the male and female toilets since at least 2016, when the council first faced a storm of criticism for uploading footage showing a man smashing toilet roll holders.

The cameras certainly aren’t there to snoop on people. The issue of vandalism is still ongoing- Marsaxlokk mayor Stephen Grech

A social media post reignited the controversy this week, when a woman shared a photograph of the camera in the female toilets located at Xatt is-Sajjieda, close to the locality’s football pitch.

“This is not installed because of vandalism but because of some pervert’s sickness. It should be removed immediately,” the woman wrote.

Others similarly questioned the legality of the cameras and the possibility of a breach of privacy to whoever might make use of the facilities.

However, speaking to Times of Malta, Marsaxlokk mayor Steven Grech assured that all the cameras were pointed away from the bathroom stalls and regardless, have remained switched off following the 2016 complaint.

Nonetheless, Grech defended the installation of the cameras, saying that these were installed to combat a vandalism problem.

“Previously, when the public convenience was administered by the central government, there was a full-time employee stationed there who kept an eye out and was able to supervise,” he said.

“However, when the council took over its running, we simply could not stretch the budget to keep a person employed there on a full-time basis.”

Grech said the toilets have been targeted by vandalism on several occasions. Water taps and toilet seats have been broken and excrement smeared on the floor and walls. 

“The cameras certainly aren’t there to snoop on people. The issue of vandalism is still ongoing and we hoped that the presence of the cameras would serve as a deterrent,” he said.

The Marsaxlokk toilet is not the only public convenience to have cameras installed with previous reports of CCTV in toilets in Attard, Birżebbuġa and other localities.

Times of Malta has contacted the data commissioner for comment.