A small memorial marking the tragic death of a woman in Attard has been removed by the transport authority, the latest instalment in a 28-year-old feud between the victim's family and residents about the "obstructive" stone marker.

The memorial, located on the pavement in Notary Żarb Street, commemorated the death of Sylvia Borg in a car accident on December 30, 1981.

Transport Malta removed it last week, saying it posed a "hazard" to pedestrians and to people who used public transport and alighted at a nearby bus stop.

The victim's family vow they will not give up their battle to have a permanent memorial on the spot and want to take legal action to have it returned. "We don't even know where the plaque is. We just noticed it was missing when we passed by. It hurts not to see it there," a relative said.

The authority took the action following complaints by residents about the memorial, which over the years was removed three times, broken and even piled over with garbage bags.

Ms Borg's family had installed the plaque a month after she died, a decision that immediately rubbed residents the wrong way.

The victim died at age 25 when the car she was in crashed into a tree. The vehicle was being driven by her fiancé, Paul Mifsud, the former snooker and billiards amateur world champion.

The family replaced the stone each time it was removed and once actually found it dumped in the courtyard of the local council.

The residents argued that it was dangerous and over time many complaints were made to the police and the local council calling for its removal.

One resident, Charles Grech, was vociferous: "I want to develop part of my property and the plaque will eventually obstruct the driveway. It has to go," he said.

In an attempt to protect the memorial, Ms Borg's family had filed an application with the planning authority to sanction it. The planning authority turned it down, saying the marker was "alien" in the area but the family has asked for the case to be reconsidered.

Transport Malta said it had carried out an inspection and concluded the plaque was causing an inconvenience and was a hazard to pedestrians, particularly to public transport users due to its proximity to a bus stop.

Ms Borg's family insist the action was unfair because of the pending application before the planning authority and feel the memorial was ultimately removed "because the residents didn't want it there".