Noise pollution and respect for the community

Much has been said in this paper about the subject of the noise from petards in Malta. However, in the quiet town of Ta' Xbiex there is another constant source of noise, which is that emanating from the Egyptian Embassy during the night.

Every night without fail, the windows are opened wide and local residents are treated to the sound of a television at full volume, belting out a film in which everybody seems to be shouting. This goes on well beyond 11 p.m., when families have gone to bed and may be trying to get their children to sleep in the heat of summer, often needing their windows open.

Unless challenged, the noise from the embassy can go on for hours. If things do go quiet, the din will often begin again within hours. Sometimes it will start again at 3 a.m. and on other days at 5 a.m. If it is not the television then the noise comes instead from loud discussions on the roof of the embassy. They have no idea how noise carries.

May I appeal to the Ambassador of Egypt to request that his staff have some respect for the local community and do not cause any further disturbance at night when people are trying to get some sleep? It must be possible to contain the noise so, please, we beg you, give us back our sleep in order that we may meet the next day refreshed and not more tired than when we went to bed!