Only six Paceville nightclubs have been inspected by a board meant to monitor health and safety compliance, because its list of clubs is “significantly outdated”, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.

The Health and Safety Monitoring Board’s official list of nightclubs does not include many of the entertainment hub’s most popular venues as well as others across the island.

The board looks out for fire hazards and inspects noise levels and safety conditions to ensure compliance with the Malta Tourism Authority, which also conducts its own checks.

Charles Burlò, who heads the board, said two of the clubs on his list no longer existed, while some had not been used as nightclubs for several years.

According to the list there is only one club in all of Gozo and just one strip club in Paceville – an area increasingly populated by the so-called gentleman’s’ clubs.

“It’s a joke to say there is only one strip club in Paceville when the place is full of them and that there are only six nightclubs. I have been insisting that the number of clubs on my list was far from reality since being appointed chairman two years ago and it still hasn’t changed,” he said.

Mr Burlò said he had met with several authorities to establish who could give him an updated list of nightclubs but had spent several months being sent from one government department to another.

“It’s ridiculous, I went to the MTA and to the former and current commissioners but didn’t get anywhere. I even went to the Attorney General who referred me to the Trade Department, but they just sent me back to the MTA,” he said.

The issue of safety in nightclubs was raised after 74 youths were injured, some critically, when the glass banister railing at the PlusOne club collapsed during a mass exit on November 14.

It’s a joke to say that there is only one strip club in Paceville when the place is full of them

It turns out that the club is also one of several venues which had never been inspected by the board.

Sources said the board had not inspected the club since “at least” 2013, when it was still named Wild Koyote.

The sources said inspectors were powerless to monitor the club once it had changed its name, a situation which had repeated itself with other establishments.

“It’s like being a restaurant inspector and being sent to review an Italian restaurant only to find that it’s now a Chinese takeaway. You can’t just carry out the inspection anyway as that would be illegal,” the sources said.

Mr Burlò, however, declined to comment on the PlusOne club incident saying he preferred to await the outcome of a magisterial inquiry.

The Health and Safety Monitoring Board’s official list of nightclubs does not include many of the entertainment hub’s most popular venues.

Mr Burlò explained how he had met with the MTA to establish why some of the largest venues in Paceville where not on his list.

“They told me that many of the nightclubs were registered as bars, exempting them from our inspections. To me, any place in Paceville playing loud music and serving drinks with dancing is a nightclub,” he said.

Mr Burlò said the board had been meeting regularly and had in the past two years conducted more inspections than the entity had raked up in the previous eight years. However, not all the inspections were a success.

“Some of the clubs we visited on our list didn’t even exist anymore.

“We went there and were told by locals ‘they closed ages ago’,” he said.

To make matters worse, Mr Burlò said the board was only empowered to report offenders to other authorities, making the board an overseeing body rather than a watchdog.

According to the Maintenance of Good Order at Places of Entertainment Regulations, the board has the right to regularly monitor nightclubs but is not obliged to do so. The board is also empowered to order nightclub owners to rectify any inadequacies. However, it must then turn to the police who can then decide not to renew noncompliant establishments’ licence.

“The law makes it clear, we cannot take action against offenders ourselves,” Mr Burlò said.

A public consultation process on the upcoming Paceville security reform has just been initiated, and people have already started weighing in on the debate on a Facebook page set up by the government to hear how it could make the entertainment hub safer.

Mariella Pace: “Youths under the legal age should have an entertainment option too. I think Paceville should be open for underage youths without alcohol until around 11pm. But there should be harsh penalties for those caught after that time.”

Chris Micallef: “We definitely need to improve health and safety standards in this country in general. Paceville is a perfect example of how we don’t take this seriously as a country.”

Cliff Abela: “Nightclubs should check every single person’s ID card. This is done in clubs abroad, why can’t we do it here. It can’t be that hard”.

Steve Portelli: “Nightclubs attracting large crowds should be moved out of Paceville and into open spaces that can deal with the logistical problems large crowds present.”