The owner of Circo Fantasy, the circus at Naxxar, has suspended a five-hour protest during which he locked himself in a cage with two large Siberian tigers to protest over Mepa's decision to order the circus out of the locality.

Mario Sali locked himself in at about 2 p.m. and ended his protest at 7 p.m. saying talks would be held with Mepa officials tomorrow.

Mr Sali said that he held permits by Naxxar Council and the police to use the square up to January 6 and had not known anything about Mepa.

Yesterday, he said, he was served with an enforcement notice by the Authority. He was told he could stay on site for another 15 days, but the circus could not operate.

This, he said, did not make sense, and he should not be made to suffer administrative confusion.

"All I need is another 15 days, I have paid for the use of the square," he said.

Mepa yesterday ordered the circus to take down its tent and move out of the car park of the Trade Fair Grounds, saying its 30-day permit had expired. It had said the circus was cooperating.

Mr Sali said it was true that he had dismantled most of the circus and put some animals in the trucks, but he was still insisting that the circus should continue to operate. He said that Mepa was interpreting a clause which said that temporary structures had to be idsmantled within 30 days. Therefore he had dismantled his structures, but he would assemble them again tomorrow at noon.

Footage: Mark Zammit Cordina (top) , Kurt Sansone