Julie Bartolo, a mother of two, was jolted by a loud noise as she drove along the dimly lit Triq San Nikola in Cospicua last Saturday.

It was 9pm and with two children in the back seat, she slammed  on the brakes, fearing a burst tyre.

Ms Bartolo’s dented car bonnet.Ms Bartolo’s dented car bonnet.

But when she got out of the car, Ms Bartolo realised the bonnet was dented and dusty. Somebody had hurled a stone onto the road from the top part of Ġnien Kottonera. The back part of the public garden is situated at a higher level than the road, making it possible for anyone to throw things down onto passing cars.

“Luckily, the stone hit the bonnet, not the windscreen. I got a fright, and the children were scared,” Ms Bartolo told the Times of Malta.

Ms Bartolo reported the incident to the police, who in turn informed her it was not the first time this had happened.

The council does not have the tools to deal with the problem of unruly youths vandalising public property and depends on the police for enforcement

She took to Facebook to raise awareness on the need for more surveillance in the area and reiterated her call when contacted by this newspaper. “The authorities should increase surveillance or else ensure that a higher fence is put up instead of the low iron railing at the perimeter of the public garden,” Ms Bartolo said.

Cospicua mayor Alison Zerafa Civelli said that this was the first time the council had been made aware of such an incident, but she acknowledged that the garden was frequented by young people at night who were engaging in bad behaviour.

The council has a problem with vandalism in the area, Ms Zerafa Civelli added. “The Peppi Delceppo five-a-side football ground further down from where the stone-throwing incident happened has also been vandalised.”

The council does not have the tools to deal with the problem of unruly youngsters vandalising public property and depends on the police for enforcement. The mayor said she has asked for more patrols in the area, but it is evidently not enough.

“I hold regular meetings with the district police, but they do not have enough manpower to carry out constant patrols, given that the Cospicua branch has to cater for a whole district.

“But I would like to see more police officers on the beat.”

Meanwhile, people like Ms Bartolo continue to hope that a juvenile prank does not turn into a nightmare for motorists passing through the area.

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