Mayor bemoans vandalism

The mayor of Floriana has expressed concern at the frequent acts of vandalism he said were taking place in the locality.

"It is an area which suffers from different kinds of abuses," John Mary Brincat said.

Contacted by The Times following reports that a number of rubbish bins were missing from The Mall and that Floriana gardens were littered with rubbish, Mr Brincat said the council had also received complaints from residents about the missing bins.

Vandalism, such as the damaging and theft of waste bins, was quite common in Floriana, he said. Several of the remaining waste bins were often overflowing with litter and benches had also been damaged, he added.

Mr Brincat said The Mall was under the responsibility of the central government but a spokesman for the Public Cleansing Department within the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure said the responsibility lay with the council.

The department was only responsible for ensuring that street cleaners operate between the police headquarters and Castille while other areas were the Floriana council's responsibility, the spokesman said.