As summer rolls through its last month, the increasing frequency of beach thefts has been highlighted.

There was a time when you could leave anything you liked on the beach. A cursory nod to the group next to you when you went off for a swim was always taken as a courtesy signal for someone to just keep an eye on your belongings before you went for a dip.

How things have changed. Nowadays, leaving your bag on the beach is an open invitation for thieves to come and rifle through your belongings and take whatever they want.

Statistics on thefts from beaches show that the beaches in the Sliema area spanning all of Tower Road are the richest hunting grounds for thieves looking to strip bathers of their possessions.

Speaking to this newspaper, people have said that even their dignity was stolen as even their clothes were taken. It is clear that this is all organised.  In June, five thefts were reported from the Sliema area. But in July, 20 thefts from beaches were reported to the police in the Sliema area.

Hot on Sliema’s heels are the golden sands of Mellieha. Five thefts were reported in the Mellieha area in June, but come July, 17 thefts were reported in the area.

Third and fourth on the list of a bather’s worst nightmare are St Paul’s Bay and St Julians, with 14 and 13 thefts respectively reported over the two month period in question.

In Malta, a grand total of 105 thefts were reported to police in June and July. Gozo lived up to its reputation of being a smaller and quieter version than Malta, with a mere nine thefts reported.

Of course, the best way to avoid having your belongings stolen is to make sure that you do not leave your bags unattended while going for a swim, or buying a drink, or whatever. It is even better to not take phones and other valuables to the beach if it can be avoided.

The police told this newspaper that regular foot and bike squad patrols are made on Malta’s major beaches. But it is obviously not enough. Petty theft will always occur. It is something that is going to happen, especially if people ‘invite’ thieves to do it by leaving things on the beach.

But it is also clear that more needs to be done. There needs to be more of a deterrent in terms of police presence. Why not assign wardens to patrol the beaches? Why not employ private watchmen to do it? They do not need the power of arrest to at least be a preventive presence.

At the end of the day though, it seems that the best piece of advice to give people is to just not take valuables to the beach.