The government will tomorrow publish a Bill to regulate the activities of bouncers and private security guards, and regulations to regulate fireworks.

Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici told a press conference this afternoon that the new law on bouncers would end the 'law of the jungle' and introduce new offences related to assaulting bouncers and private security officers, and also the use of of excessive force by the bouncers. It would also establish how these security officers would operate, ensuring that no one took the law into his own hands.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the new fireworks regulations would provide among other things, that the size of petards known as tal-bomba would be reduced to a diameter of 12cm from the current 15, making them less powerful. Furthermore, such petards may only be used during the 'salute' while at other times not more than six could be let off.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici said that in terms of the new regulations, it would be possible for a small number of fireworks to be let off from a distance of 100 metres from inhabited areas, instead of 150 metres as at present. The aim of this amendment, he said, was to encourage festa enthusiasts to opt for such smaller fireworks.

He said that the Fireworks Inspectorate, set up two years ago would be given more powers.

In other remarks, as he reviewed the work of his ministry over the past year, the minister said the situation regarding illegal immigration was fluid and things could change very quickly, hence the need for Malta to always remain cautious and vigilant.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici praised the police for their work and said that while the crime rate had dropped, the prison population was at its highest.