Some 600 vehicles were stopped by the police at the start of the Carnival weekend, with 37 of them booked for offences, the police said.

Drivers were caught without a valid licence, using their mobile phone while behind the wheel, or driving a car without a licence sticker on the windscreen during inspections carried out in Għadira Bay and in Gozo.

Another 20 fines were issued for excessive speeding, the police said Saturday.

Carnival weekend is particularly busy for the police as thousands cross over to Gozo.