The chapel of St Paul the Hermit in Wied il-Ghasel had been vandalised with graffiti Friday evening, which was reportedly cleaned up by Saturday morning.

Both the Mosta Local Council and politician Arnold Cassola had posted photos of the graffiti sprayed on the rural chapel's façade located in the valley on their Facebook pages on Friday. 

The Mosta Local Council wrote on Facebook that Mayor Chris Grech had written to the concerned authorities to have the "big mess" remedied as soon as possible.

"We will continue our work to protect our heritage," the post read, where the council also tagged Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Alison Zerafa Civelli, as well as the Restoration and Preservation Department.

Times of Malta reported that on Saturday morning, Grech said that the green and brown spray paint had been cleaned up by the chapel's caretaker.

The chapel, built in a cave within the protected valley of Wied il-Ghasel, is often visited by hikers, residents and photographers.