Police should start criminal proceedings against the developer and architect following the collapse of a St Julian's street on Wednesday, the building regulator has said. 

The Building and Construction Agency said that its investigations showed the developer and architect involved in the incident at Ivo Muscat Azzopardi street broke a law that is meant to prevent damage to third party property. 

BCA said it had requested the police issue criminal charges against the developer and architect in charge of the project over their breach of the obligation to submit the required documentation prior to the commencement of works.

The agency said that before submitting such documentation, the work should not have commenced on the site.

On Wednesday Times of Malta revealed that the contractor working on the site is also behind excavation works that are suspected to be linked to a fatal building collapse earlier this month.
 
Ludwig Dimech, of LK Limited was among six people questioned by the police in connection with the collapse of a family home in Ħamrun on March 2, which killed 54-year-old Miriam Pace.
 
Police and court experts investigating the fatal Ħamrun building collapse are examining tracks left behind at the scene to try to establish whether excavation machinery was used too close to the family home.