Asked by The Malta Independent on Sunday on Friday evening whether they were going to use the same locations as last year, the only reply by Fr Valentino Borg was a terse “I don’t know, I don’t know”.

Motorists were infuriated last year when Regional Road was closed to traffic because fireworks were being let off in the vicinity.

Censu Galea, then Minister for Transport and Communications, had pledged at the time that there would not be a repeat performance.

This assurance was again given more recently by Police Commissioner John Rizzo during a press briefing on 25 June.