Three men arrested in foiled Sliema burglary

Three would-be burglars not only walked away empty-handed but also handcuffed on Saturday night, after their planned operation in St Dominic Street, Sliema was foiled by suspicious residents.

It is understood they wanted to gain entry to a house which they knew was empty because the family was attending a wedding.

It was around 8.30 p.m. when residents in the usually quiet street heard dogs barking. When one man looked out onto the road he realised there was a man waiting in a car, parked in a corner.

Soon after, he and other residents saw two men jumping from roof to roof on residences across the road. They called the police who were on site within minutes.

The 26-year-old man from Valletta was apprehended straight away in what was meant to be the getaway car but the search for the other two carried on.

As residents gathered outside their houses, the police went into every residence, including their back yards, in search of the burglars who seemed to have vanished.

When they re-appeared, the police chased them across the rooftops until they were both arrested. Police sources said one of them tripped, fell a height and fractured his arm, forcing him to give up and turn himself in. These two men are both 31 years old, also from Valletta.

A balaclava was found in the back garden of an uninhabited house which is currently being renovated.