The Hamrun Local Council has appealed to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, the Police Corps and the Health Department to close off all the openings to a palace in Atocia street.

The palace cannot be demolished and is being abused of, thus resulting in the place being left in disarray.

In a statement issued yesterday the council noted that this palace has been declared to be of grade one, that is, it cannot be demolished. Despite this, it is derelict and in shambles. People are discarding garbage there and young people abuse of drugs there, the statement claimed.

The Hamrun Local Council is aware of the problem and has asked the authorities concerned to close off all the entrances to the palace to make it inaccessible to the public.

Unfortunately this has not been done and the palace is regularly abused of, the statement concluded.