The Zurrieq local council strongly deplored the vandal acts which took place on Wednesday night at a site known as “is-centre-strip tal-bebbux” (snail shell) between Blue Grotto Avenue and Qrendi Road in Zurrieq.

The council said that this act “killed” the initiative of Joseph Farrugia, who provided various decorations made from snail shells. The installations in the area had become an attraction for Maltese people and tourists alike.

Mr Farrugia was honoured during Jum iz-Zurrieq, when the council placed a commemorative plaque to show the appreciation of the Zurrieq community for the work he carried out practically throughout his life.

The local council expressed its solidarity with Mr Farrugia’s family and said that it will do all it possibly can to restore the works and re-install them in their original place.

The Nationalist Party committee in Zurrieq also slammed the acts of vandalism. It said that Mr Farrugia’s work was a symbol of the capabilities of a person with great talent. The committee said that this was not the first time that the site was vandalised.

Another act of vandalism took place in Zurrieq last week, when a number of dead animals were disposed of at a bring-in-site.

Zurrieq PN councillors Mario Paul Ellul and Melvyn Mangion looked into the case and asked the Zurrieq local council to remove one of the waste containers which was being used as an open skip. They said that this should not be used as part of a waste recycling system and appealed for the bring-in-site to be made up only of containers for metal, plastic, paper and glass.