Għar Lapsi is a beautiful scenic spot. It is popular with bathers, small boat owners and anglers. The water is fantastically clear and clean and the underwater environment is unique and full of life. The bay is sheltered and offers a perfect place for older people to enjoy an easy swim, or for youngsters to learn their strokes.

But, there is a clear and present danger. On the boat slipway side of the bay, chalky white cliffs are giving way. Whole slabs of the cliffside have come crashing down and it has to be said, it is dangerous, especially when a structure is perched so close to the edge of it.

The danger is split into two parts. All too often, tourists spot a little bit of a view of the bay from the parking area above. It is so scenic, and makes such a good photo that many of them venture close to the cliff edge to take a couple of pictures. What they do not realise is that the face is concave – it is hollowing out. This means that they stand right on the edge, where the cliff is most likely to give way next. All too often, bathers below spot the danger and wave the tourists (and sometimes locals) away. The Siġġiewi local council has put up warning signs, in this respect, but there is not much else that can be done, save from fencing the whole area off, which would be a great shame for walkers and people who have a little more sense than wandering right to the edge.

The fencing issue brings us to the other danger which is posed to the people who actually go down to the bay. Some parts of the bay are completely fenced off because of the danger of falling rocks, but time and time again, people have damaged and removed the fencing, clearly risking peril in doing so.

It is quite obvious to see that parts of the cliff face may give way at any time, just by looking up at it. The council has again done what it can in attempting to fence off the most dangerously obvious parts of the bay.

People continue to defy logic and make their way round the fence to what are, admittedly, the nicer parts of the bay, but at the same time the most dangerous. In addition, week after week, people keep damaging and tearing down the fences that are repeatedly put up by the council. One cannot really see what more can be done. Common sense really should prevail. Danger signs and fences are in abundance, yet people still dice with death and proceed to the areas at risk of collapse. Wardens will do no good, this really should be something that people should know for themselves. It really does go to show that despite the year 2012 and the era of knowledge and information, humans are still capable of behaving very, very stupidly.

The inevitable is that there will be another collapse. Let us hope that it is not in summer and that there is no one underneath the debris fallout area – it really would be tragic.