A clip has emerged of a woman who used a stick to clear floral wreaths laid at the site in front of the law courts which has become a shrine to assassinated blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Her actions had prompted a social media outcry from supporters of the murdered journalist.

The woman had been stopped by the police - but apparently gave a plausible reason for her actions, insisting that it was a misunderstanding and that she was trying to tidy up. However, the video which emerged on Facebook on Friday captures the women pulling flowers and the photo of Ms Caruana Galizia down off the monument.

Former Nationalist Party general secretary Paul Borg Olivier wrote on his Facebook wall on January 26: "Saw the lady myself also arguing with the police that the messages and flowers should be removed. 'Neħħu dan l-imbarazz minn hawn' ” ('Remove this rubbish from here')