The police declared that contrary to what the Maltese Pyrotechnics Society said in a statement to the media, the police made no new demands except for those provided by legal notice 243 of 1998.

In contrast, the Maltese Pyrotechnics Society said it could not understand why the police were demanding a detailed programme of fireworks being let off, something which was not stipulated in the same legal notice of 1998.

The Maltese Pyrotechnics Society complained that much nitpicking was going on with regard to the letting off of fireworks this year, with added burdens and duties. It thought that demands for detailed lists of everything that was going to be let off were absurd, as were demands of having a fire engine present on site during the letting off of fireworks from lighters anchored at sea, police presence during the letting off of fireworks and a police escort whenever the least offensive fireworks were being transported. The latter demand would make the escort costlier than the fireworks, the society claimed.

In its statement of reply, the police said that demanding a detailed programme of what fireworks were to be let off was a direct consequence of regulation 14(b) of the same legal notice.

The police corps was in duty bound to ensure the security of persons and property in the vicinity of places were fireworks are let off. Similarly, the need of having a fire engine stationed in the vicinity was to give immediate assistance if and when necessary. Fire could easily spread to land in cases when fireworks were let off from lighters anchored at sea, it explained.

Demands of police presence during the letting off of fireworks and police escort whenever the fireworks were to transported were also set down in paragraphs (f) and (g) of the same legal notice and in no way did such demands go against what the law stated, the police said.