Alternattiva Demokratika’s spokesman for Gozo and general secretary Victor Galea said the Gozo Ministry had confirmed that the historic watch tower in Xlendi remained in the hands of third parties, even though it had been allowed to deteriorate to a ruinous state.

He said that the unquestionable threat of imminent collapse of Xlendi tower fully justified the rescission of any grant of title of the property by the government to third parties.

“It is the most feeble of excuses for doing nothing in the face of disaster,” said Mr Galea.

He added that the upgrading of Rundle Gardens would be a very welcome development when it finally took place, but this did not mean that the Gozo Ministry could shift its responsibilities and ignore other endangered heritage assets of the island such as the Xlendi tower.