A Maltese man last Friday chased a foreigner along the Sliema promenade, only to lose him when the latter dashed off after he had initially been caught and made to sit on the road.

The incident happened at around 8pm on Friday evening, with passers-by attracted to screams and shouts by a woman and a teenage girl as a man who was with them was involved in an altercation with a foreigner close to the Tower.

The two men were initially involved in a fist fight but the foreigner later withdrew and ran off in a side street, with the Maltese man giving chase.

The two were later noticed on a bus-stop on Tower Road, with the Maltese man standing up over the foreigner, who was sitting on the road. The Maltese man was holding a belt in his hands.

The police had been called but, but the foreigner – who had regained his breath – dashed off with the Maltese man giving chase again as they both ran in the direction of St Julian’s.

The foreigner managed to escape the hunt as two police officers turned up on site. The Maltese man was seen accompanying them in search of the foreigner, who by this time had disappeared.

It is not known what sparked the incident or whether a report was filed.