A car park attendant yesterday obtained a temporary warrant to stop Transport Malta from building a horse shelter in Valletta, arguing that his only source of income would be affected if the parking lots were removed.

Father of three Paul Grech, 49, said that he had been working in Marsamxetto Street, opposite the House of Catalonia, as a parker for the past 18 years. Construction workers turned up yesterday morning to build a shelter for horse drawn cabs.

Mr Grech claimed that he was threatened by Transport Malta staff and told not to cause any obstacles for them.

He said that the shelter would remove a number of parking spaces severely limiting his income, which he derived from tips given to him by people who park their cars there.

If he is moved to another area where someone else already operated as a car park attendant then that would cause other problems, Mr Grech said.

Mr Grech argued that although he was managed by Transport Malta they had no right to take an arbitrary decision overnight when it directly affected his livelihood.

Furthermore, Transport Malta had no permits to build the shelter, he claimed. Mr Justice Anthony Ellul granted a temporary warrant of prohibitory injunction stopping Transport Malta from constructing the shelter.

The case will start being held on Tuesday.

Lawyers David Camilleri and Josè Herrera signed the warrant.