“We have increased our police presence there as we do every summer by six or seven officers on weekend evenings between 6pm and midnight,” he said, adding that Marsascala has one of the lowest crime rates in Malta.

Mr Rizzo said people had to accept that the Malta Police Corps had limited manpower. “We have cavalry patrols as well, but on the opposite side of the coin, we get criticised because they dirty the roads. But we will sort that out as well,” he said.

Mr Rizzo pointed out that in reality, the Marsascala police

station was, in fact, in the centre of the village. “There might be some syringes found on the outskirts of Marsascala, but what people must realise is that people abuse heroin in out-of-the-way areas, not in public,” he said.

It did not make sense to make a mountain out of a molehill by exploding the issue to proportions that were simply unrealistic, said Mr Rizzo. “Marsascala is one of my favourite Sunday afternoon haunts and it has a lovely family atmosphere. So what if there is a disco, what is wrong with that? Youngsters like to enjoy themselves as well. And the disco is for younger teenagers. Marsascala is nothing at all like Paceville,” he said.

Mr Rizzo said there were never any reports of anti-social

behaviour in Marsascala. “Unfortunately it always seems to be the same mayor with the same complaints,” he said.