Marsa's Wikipedia page entry has been edited to describe the town as 'Africa in Malta'.

Social media users, who spotted the changes, said it was "disappointing" to see "racist comments" end up on a page accessed by many for factual information.

The former trade school, which is now used as a hosting facility for male refugees  is described as a 'ghetto' in the edit.

And on information relating to the official population of the town, the page now states it is difficult to quantify because "all illegal immigration lands in Marsa". 

The changes were made on 29 June at 17:40 but users who spotted the edits began sharing them on Twitter on Thursday.

Wikipedia allows users to edit articles freely but its vandalism policy states that anyone making abusive edits will result in being blocked from the platform.

The page also describes the hosting facility as "the hotspot for several crimes".

Official statistics actually show that crime reports are highest in Mdina, Floriana and St Julian's.

Crime in Marsa is also mostly committed by Maltese nationals, according to figures in Parliament. 

The Times of Malta has contacted Wikipedia for comment.