After 13 years of putting up with caravans parked in Mistra Bay, a restaurateur is suing the authorities for failing to take action and allowing “the picturesque bay” to turn into “a slum area”.

Claude Camilleri, owner of Margo’s restaurant, in Mistra Bay, filed a civil case against the police commissioner, the Malta Tourism Authority, Transport Malta, the Lands Authority and the Mellieħa local council, holding them responsible for the damages he suffered along the years due to their inaction.

In the application, filed in the First Hall of the Civil Court, Camilleri said the issue dated back to 2008. Since then, every year, caravans take over the bay between March and November – parking permanently along the shore and blocking access to the bay as well as obstructing the views from the restaurant.

Caravans and campers at Mistra can only be parked on the road provided they have an inbuilt engine. Non-motorised campers and trailers can park on the road if they are secured to or towed by a vehicle.

Over the years, Camilleri said, he had filed several reports with the authorities but they failed to take action and enforce the law, as was their duty as the competent authorities.

To add insult to injury, as a consequence of the reports filed, his property had been vandalised and he was even assaulted by caravan owners. Camilleri said he was provided with no protection by the authorities.

He stressed that the issue of the caravans at the bay was “common knowledge” and had been reported in the media. Yet, for some reason, the authorities were being negligent and were not taking action, to the detriment of his business.

He called on the court to declare that the authorities had failed to carry out their duty and enforce the law and to hold them responsible for the damages suffered.

The unregulated sprawl of caravans parked along the island’s coastline has been a longstanding problem that keeps emerging year after year.

In the most recent case, Times of Malta reported last week that caravans are “hogging” a public car park in Għallis, on the Coast Road. Windsurfer Paul Ellul said the area was enjoyed by the public and windsurfers who have been using the car park to rig up for decades but access was now blocked by the caravans.

His concern was echoed by Naxxar mayor Anne Marie Muscat Fenech Adami who said the local council was “very concerned” about the issue and had called on the environment and transport ministries to see to the problem.

Last week, Times of Malta also reached out to the ministries. However, no replies were received.