Fourteen bar and restaurant owners of Marina Street in Marsascala have heartily criticised Marsascala councillor Josie Muscat who accused mayor Mario Calleja of issuing fewer than 10 permits for street hawkers to sell their wares along the promenade during weekends.

The owners said it was they who asked the mayor to create such commercial activity during weekends, in a bid to find new ways to make up for their financial losses derived from the closure of the Jerma Palace hotel.

They also wondered how come Dr Muscat, a businessmen himself, “is seeing red just because Mario Calleja tried to help us recuperate our losses?” The 14 bar and restaurant owners said Dr Muscat’s business interests abroad have kept him from patronising their establishments and they do not hold world wide interests, but only their village, businesses and “the help and care” of their mayor.

They added that if the tirades against Mr Calleja are “the curtain raisers for his electoral campaign, we advise him to let our mayor be and to knock on other doors.”