Six people who were charged with dressing up as nuns during this year's infamous Nadur carnival were acquitted yesterday on grounds that they were not wearing any crosses or religious symbols.

The judgment comes after 26-year-old Melvin Barbara was given a one-month jail term suspended for 18 months after he pleaded guilty to dressing up as Jesus Christ during the same carnival celebrations.

Whereas Mr Barbara pleaded guilty straight away, the Nadur carnival "nuns" - Jonathan Saliba, 38, Daniel Seguna, 22, Elizabeth Grech, 27, Lucio Sciriha, 22, Wesley Zammit, 22, and Jennifer Busuttil, 24 - decided to challenge the charges.

Magistrate Edwina Grima acquitted them after ruling that there was nothing that actually made fun of the Church. They were dressed in black wearing a white veil and the costume did not constitute a sacred garment.

Anyone who is charged with belittling the Roman Catholic religion faces a maximum of six months in jail if found guilty.

The youngsters did not form part of the same group and were stopped by the police as they moved through the crowds and told to take off the costume. Those who were not suitably dressed underneath the costume were escorted to the police station and then taken to their residences.

The police appealed the judgment.

Police Inspector Josric Mifsud prosecuted.