Local council's responsibility

Cynthia Busuttil's report, 'Fall changes man's retirement plan' (The Sunday Times, February 1), leaves one with an aching heart. She recounts how while Colin Farrar and his wife were roaming around Buġibba to get to know the place where they were planning to retire, on turning round a corner he tripped into a small wooden plank barely covering a gaping hole.

This happened two months ago. This means that the gaping hole in which Mr Farrar tumbled, fell and fractured his hip, causing him a lot of pain and surgery, funnily enough, is still there for all to see. Now Mr Farrar can only walk a few paces with the help of a walking frame.

I feel the St Paul's Bay council has a lot to answer for. The report goes on to say that when contacted two months after the incident, the mayor said she was aware of the gaping hole, had given instructions to the contractor to have it repaired, and that she will contact him again the following day.

And in the meantime...?

I would like to put one question to local councils (not only to that of St Paul's Bay). When specific instructions are given for a job to be done, is there any councillor responsible to see that the job is done and done well?

Had this been the case, Mr Farrar would have been spared a lot of pain, an operation, with another to follow, besides having his plans to retire in Malta shattered. He cannot be blamed! Added to this, there is the bad name Malta is being burdened with because of someone's carelessness and a laissez faire attitude by many.