Updated with reaction by Sliema councilor Pierre Portelli.

The Sliema Street Art Festival brought with it a variety of events including one “beach club” complete with bar and music.

Unfortunately once the event was over the site was left littered with empty beer cans, cigarette packets and scraps of wood which had been used to level out the platform.

This apart from dried palm fronds which are now littering the Fond Ghadir beach as well as the Tower Road promenade. Furthermore benches were dislodged from their site so as to make way for stalls selling drinks etc.  The benches have not been reinstated.

This also happened following last year’s event and the Sliema Local Council should ensure that organisers and participants are made to clean up the mess left behind.

Reacting to the report, Sliema councilor Pierre Portelli said “the beaches and all areas were cleaned at least twice a day by members of the Cleansing Directorate, who not only swept the areas, but also collected tons of garbage left behind.”

Mr Portelli said the Sliema Local Council handed out strict conditions to the organisers of the festival, which attracted over 10,000 people over the weekend. “It is important to note that the Sliema Local Council, handed out strict conditions with regards to the cleaning of the areas by the sub-contracted entertainment organisers. One of these conditions was, to have the areas swept and cleaned from all rubbish up to 3 days from the end of the festival. We can confirm that this was respected as by this Thursday, the mentioned area in this article has been cleaned.

For next year's event, the Sliema Arts Festival Committee shall be looking into more efficient ways to collect any left-over debris and rubbish and will also embark on a project for more recyclable awareness and waste collection efficiency,” Mr Portelli said.