The Police had to fire a warning shot in the air yesterday to restrain a Serb man who first fled and when caught up with attacked the police who were pursuing him.

The police said the incident began at about 6.30am in Triq Parisio, Sliema, when they were doing the rounds and saw a foreign national acting suspiciously.

What happened was that the man, who resulted to be a Serb national, tried to conceal himself when he saw the police, and then ran off. The police caught up with him and approached him in Triq San Albert, Gzira, where he was ordered to stop. Instead of doing so, he tried to attack the police and a warning shot was fired.

The man was held and it was found that he did not have documents or any permit to stay in Malta. At the place where he was staying, another Serb, aged 54, was also detained for not having the necessary permits.