The parish priest of Ħamrun Immaculate Conception parish has appealed to the police to improve security, saying people were even scared to go to church.

The appeal was made in a Facebook post after a 26-year-old with no fixed address on Tuesday was arraigned and accused of having stabbed and beaten up a 64-year-old man who refused to hand him money.

The incident happened at Manuel Magri Street, close to the church last Sunday at 8.30pm when the 64-year-old was out walking his dog.

The accused had walked up to him, demanding cash. When the man said he was not carrying any, he was allegedly punched, then stabbed three times while he was on the ground. He was grievously injured.

Parish priest Fr Franco Fenech wrote that after what had happened on Sunday, he hoped that the authorities understood the need to improve security in the streets of the parish.

An ever-growing number of persons were, at all times of the day, going up to people to beg and when they were not handed anything, they became aggressive, he said.

Elderly people and children were also afraid to go to church because of the number of people sitting on the church steps eating and drinking even late into the night. He had to sweep the steps every day because of the risk that some people could slip on the peels and other rubbish left on the church steps.

The parish priest said he hoped his appeal would be heeded because the health and safety of people was involved.