How disappointing to read of K. Jennings' family's awful holiday in Malta. I meet a lot of holidaymakers and hear complaints about quite a few hotels in Qawra and Bugibba but one supposed three-star hotel has an awful reputation.

Does any authority issue star ratings in Malta or do hotel owners rate their own and does anyone regularly check that, having been issued with a rating, standards of health and safety are maintained or is it, like everything else in Malta, a matter of let sleeping dogs lie?

Three years ago I stayed at a four-star hotel in Qawra and was put in a room which would not have a one-star rating in any country. On complaining I was put in a nice sea view room for which I had to pay extra. This is sharp practice in any language.

Would it not be a good idea to let visitors know what to expect from a hotel's star rating before they book their holiday here?

Another related subject which affects tourism is the state of the sea and beaches which, we all know, has declined over the last few years.

Does the tourism ministry know that Benidorm, in Spain, has three miles of beach that is sieved and the sea cleaned by boats every night and 1.5 million Britons go there every year? Would this not be possible for the mile or so of beaches in Malta?

We read many articles in The Times on the subject and especially the one from Frank Salt (August 16) and Kenneth Zammit Tabona (August 26) which show that some people are beginning to notice; but will anything be done? No, I doubt it. I'm afraid the Maltese are good talkers but slow to act.

I had a letter printed in The Times (June 2002) in the same vein and the only response was: if you do not like it here, go home. If only for your children's and grandchildren's sake, please make an effort to clean up Malta.