A Tax Compliance Unit official and his family were yesterday lucky to escape without injury when a homemade pipe bomb exploded outside their house, blowing the front door off and causing some minor damage in the surrounding area.

The bomb was placed on the porch, just outside the door of the house in Summer Street, Mosta. It went off at about 1:15am, the police said. No one was injured in the blast, but the front door was smashed to bits and a car parked in front on the house was extensively damaged.

The façade of the house was also damaged by shrapnel while windows of other houses in Summer Street shattered as a result.

Neighbours described how they were awakened in the middle of the night by a huge explosion and the subsequent sharp sound of shattering glass.

The victim, a government employee, also runs a consultancy firm and offers recruitment and training services, debt collection, company registration and payroll.

One might also have to have a rethink about neighbourhood watch schemes, as the street where the bomb was planted formed part of one. However, no alarm was raised and the bomber executed his plan.

Shortly after the explosion, the victim was rushed to St Luke’s Hospital by a paramedic team where he was treated for shock. The Civil Protection Department were called in and cordoned off the area in order to secure the site.

In a statement released by the Department of Information, the government condemned the bombing. The government’s statement read: “Acts such as these are always deplorable, but most especially when they are carried out with the intention of harming people who are fulfilling their duties with integrity and a great sense of professionalism”.

The government assured the victim and his family that they had its solidarity and it offered its support to all those involved in the fight against fraud and tax evasion. “The government also assures the public, the majority of whom show honesty in paying their dues, that it will continue with its drive to improve fiscal morality”.

Duty magistrate Audrey Demicoli appointed a number of court experts to assist in drawing up an on-site inquiry while the police Criminal Investigation Department has launched its own investigation.