Senglea man says he took over rooms to stop abuse

A Senglea man protested this morning that he had taken over two seafront rooms/shelters near Il-Macina because they had been abandoned and had become a den of abuse.

Raymond Vassallo told workers of the Land Department who turned up to empty the shelters this morning that the rooms, next door to the former Labour headquarters in Senglea, had been open, abandoned and a magnet for drug addicts for years.

He cleaned them up, fitted doors and even installed a fake CCTV camera to keep people away.

Mr Vassallo strenuously insisted that he had a verbal agreement with Lands Department officials.

The inspectors, who had forced open the rooms before Mr Vassallo turned up, found rabbits and two small dogs inside, as well as a generator, boats and fishing tackle, among other items.

They repaired the doors but kept the keys until further inquiries are made.