The plight of Lower Fort St Elmo

The highlighting the present state of Lower Fort St Elmo in The Times (October 29) has prompted me to write a few words showing the continued shrugging of responsibilities by the nation's highest authorities.

The National War Museum Association, responsible for the setting up of the War Museum in 1974 within the Drill Hall in Lower Fort St Elmo, had its office/library/archive and stores situated within the fort itself.

At first we spent many trouble-free years, however, at one point in time the fort started to attract unsavoury characters and squatters. Break-ins and theft from our offices and stores became the order of the day notwithstanding our beefing them up with costly iron gates and security padlocks. Oxy-acetylene cutters were brought in to cut down our security doors. In the meantime our approaches to the police and government authorities went unheeded.

Following an arson attempt - the setting alight of part of our archives - we were forced to leave the premises for good in 2001. It is clear that the situation there has deteriorated further although the highest officials of the state had been made very much aware of the fort's dismal condition and pertaining situation.