Part of Qbajjar Bay in Gozo will remain off limits for bathers, after a request by the local council to open it was rejected, the Times of Malta has learned.

The Żebbuġ council said the request to add the area as a swimming zone was made last June, but Transport Malta denied it.

A warning sign near Qbajjar Bay was installed after a series of “freak waves” battered the beach and swept away people’s belongings.

The authority has insisted that “no more swimming zones could be added at the moment”, since there is a tender in place which expires at the end of next year, council executive secretary Ryan Debrincat said.

A spokesman for Transport Malta said it had turned down the Żebbuġ council’s request since there was already a swimming zone in the vicinity.

“However, Transport Malta does not exclude reviewing this proposal in the coming years,” the spokesman added.

The proposal to close the area for swimmers was made after bathers complained about high waves battering the beach, allowing them no time to gather their personal affairs.

Turning the area into a swimming zone would limit the boats that got close to the bay, consequently reducing the waves they generated, Mr Debrincat added.

The “freak waves” were often caused by large vessels at sea in the vicinity, a Times of Malta reader pointed out.

Transport Malta does not exclude reviewing this proposal

“At about 12.30pm, as we were preparing to leave, a series of waves battered the beach,” Laura Vassallo said. “It hardly gave us time to reach safety, and we lost various items of clothing and shoes. It happened very fast,” she added.

“A local woman was sitting close by, and I overheard her speak to another person telling her that this always happens,” Ms Vassallo said.

Mr Debrincat said a warning sign had been installed near the area as a result of multiple reports.

However, Ms Vassallo said the information provided was “rather vague”. The notice board said to be careful of waves between 5pm and 6pm but did not mention freak waves, she added.

Poor information could lead to people losing their lives, she insisted.