Updated 4.30pm with PN statement

A Gżira councillor has filed a police report claiming a ruthless contractor tried to run him over in broad daylight on Wednesday.

Jeremy Cardona said the contractor, who he has identified to the police, revved up and swerved his vehicle, almost hitting him as he was walking along The Strand in Gżira, corner with Triq Belvedere. The incident happened around 4.30pm.

"His vehicle mounted the pavement, he then threatened me, swore at me, and said the words: 'next time stay in the middle of the road so I can run you over'", Mr Cardona told Times of Malta.

Pedestrians started shouting at the driver before he decided to keep going. 

Part of the incident was captured on CCTV and uploaded on social media. 

Mr Cardona said he was probably targetted because he recently shared a resident's picture on Facebook showing the contractor in question breaking the law. 

"Contractors in Gżira are just doing as they please, it's a free-for-all. They simply ignore the working hours and sadly all our reports fall on deaf ears," said Mr Cardona, who is also a Nationalist Party youth movement member. 

In a statement, the PN councillors' college said such acts of intimidation would not scare the party representatives to continue working in the interests of residents. 

In a Facebook post, MEP David Casa wrote: "The culture of impunity has well and truly set in."