A strong sense of civic duty yesterday landed a man in hot water, as he was arrested for filling two potholes with concrete at City Gate in Valletta to prevent pedestrians from tripping.

Donning a brand new black suit but no tie, Ivan John Grima Hammett turned up at the landmark spot in the capital at around 10.30am equipped with a shovel, cement and several buckets of aggregate material and water.

Do you want me to obey police orders... and leave this hazard for pedestrians, or shall I continue?

The sight of a neatly dressed man mixing concrete next to the City Gate bridge soon caught the attention of passers-by, some of who commended his initiative.

“I felt it was my duty to take action as people’s complaints fell on deaf ears and the authorities took no action,” the man told those present.

However, his resolve was soon put to the test when the police turned up a few minutes later ordering him to stop as he had no permission to carry out the work.

Following a brief exchange, the man turned to the small crowd for support.

“Do you want me to obey police orders and stop filling this hole and leave this hazard for pedestrians, or shall I continue?” he asked. The reply to the police of those present was: “Let him finish the works.”

Eventually the ‘project’ was completed, with Mr Grima Hammett inscribing the word ‘Jesus’ in the fresh concrete, remarking that his action was inspired by God.

At this stage the police intervened and took him in for questioning following a brief commotion. He was released soon after.

Before he left he took care to ensure nobody walked over the fresh concrete by circling it with buckets and balancing wood on top.