Comino has been described in the British media as a rat infested nightmare that 'resembles a run-down favela in a forsaken country'.

An article which first appeared on The Telegraph and was later picked on by the Daily Mail says that what was once an "idyllic island" bolstered by social media influencers "is now being devastated by overtourism".

"Makeshift bars playing loud music surround the guests serving alcoholic drinks and snacks which are then left as litter which provides an easy food source for Comino's ballooning rat population," the report says.

Gratffitti's Andre Callus described the current situation as 'unbearable'.

"For the people of Gozo and Malta, it's a nightmare and they don't go there anymore. Comino has been taken over by intense commercial interests. It is a very small place and yet there are 11 kiosks selling food and drink. They want to extract as much profit as possible from the island," he told The Daily Telegraph.

The Daily Mail reports that Tourism Minister Ian Borg has proposed halving the number of daily visitors allowed to visit the island from 10,000 to 5,000.

To enforce this law, the government will need to check with commercial boat operators to see how many passengers they carry and how many trips they make each day.

However campaigners such as Birdlife Malta would like Comino's status as a nature reserve to be respected with rubbish removed daily and a cap on tourists.